Hypothyroidism in children. How to prevent and treat

Imagine that we have just confirmed the diagnosis: our son has hypothyroidism . That's why he hardly grew up, and we always noticed him fatigued . Hence his hoarseness and the constant colds of throat . And now that? We explain how to prevent and treat hypothyroidism in children. Treatment of hypoth

Imagine that we have just confirmed the diagnosis: our son has hypothyroidism. That's why he hardly grew up, and we always noticed him fatigued. Hence his hoarseness and the constant colds of throat. And now that? We explain how to prevent and treat hypothyroidism in children.

Treatment of hypothyroidism in children

The first thing the endocrine specialist will do is send your child a hormone treatment. Treatments of hypothyroidism are thyroid hormones. The name is complicated (Synthetic Sodium Levothyroxine), but its abbreviation is simple: LT4. This medicine makes the thyroid hormone function defective.

It is a single daily dose that is taken about thirty minutes before the meal. The amount depends on the age and weight of the child. Obviously, the sooner you start treatment, the sooner the evolution of hypothyroidism in children will be slowed down. In any case, the pharmacological treatment is linked to periodic reviews of the specialist.

The hypothyroidism is not cured. But the symptoms are controlled and stopped. Remember that it is a disease that needs lifelong treatment. It is important not to interrupt the treatment even if the symptoms disappear. And any type of change in the child's diet must always be consulted with the specialist. Foods rich in fiber and soy, for example, decrease the drug's absorption capacity.

Hypothyroidism promotes weight gain. That's why the pediatrician will ask you to watch over the child's diet. It must be balanced and low in fat.

How to prevent childhood hypothyroidism

The main way to prevent any congenital disease in the baby is taking care during pregnancy. During pregnancy it is advisable to increase the daily iodine consumption . With gestures as simple as changing thesea salt for iodized salt , we are helping to prevent the appearance ofhypothyroidism in the baby due to iodine deficiency. However, it is not always enough. Most of the time,

hypothyroidism in children can not be prevented, but can be detected early. In these cases, the early diagnosis is essential to start treating it as soon as possible and thus avoid possible mental and physical delays of the child.