Home Your Thyroid Quick Guides Congenital Hypothyroidism
Print

banner_congenital

Congenital hypothyroidism is the name given to the condition that occurs when a baby is born with an underactive thyroid gland. This means that not enough thyroxine is produced for the body’s needs.

Causes

Sometimes the thyroid gland

  • does not develop in the unborn baby, or
  • is in the wrong position and does not work well, or
  • does not produce thyroxine normally

Symptoms

  • Sometimes none
  • Sleepiness
  • Difficulty in feeding
  • Constipation
  • Cold hands and feet
  • Low muscle tone (floppiness)
  • Slow growth or no growth

Diagnosis

  • All babies born in the UK are screened for hypothyroidism using a heelprick blood test about four to five days after birth

Treatment

  • Levothyroxine in tablet or liquid form
  • The dose will be adjusted as the child grows

Are there any side effects?

  • Too much levothyroxine may cause ‘fussiness’, mild diarrhoea, or poor weight gain
  • Too little levothyroxine may cause lack of energy, constipation, cold extremities, or unexpected weight gain

Follow-up

Blood tests are carried out

  • every two to three months in the first year
  • every four to six months in infancy and childhood

Long term outlook

  • Levothyroxine will usually be needed for life
  • The vast majority of babies diagnosed and treated from birth will grow up normally
pdf_congenital
Download Quick Guide pdf
 
btflogo

See us on Facebook!

News

BTF is joining forces with the Thyroid Eye Disease Charitable Trust (TEDct) to organise a thyroid eye disease information event to take place on Saturday 11 September at St James's Hospital in Leeds.
Read more...

 

Support the BTF by getting a BTF key ring
Read more...

 

New Patron for BTF

We are delighted to announce that the TV presenter and sports journalist Clare Balding has accepted our invitation to serve as a Patron of BTF. Clare was treated for thyroid cancer last year and kindly endorsed the new edition of our thyroid cancer booklet.

Clare wrote: ‘I would be very honoured to accept your invitation and would like to thank the Trustees for thinking of me. I am sure you are aware that my work is rather all-encompassing but I shall do what I can to help raise awareness of thyroid disorders and in doing so, to help those who are suffering.’

New Trustee for BTF

Mr Geoffrey E Rose, Consultant Surgeon, Moorfields Eye Hospital, London has joined the BTF's board of trustees. Mr Rose says: ‘I will happily serve as a Trustee of the British Thyroid Foundation for the best interests of patients with thyroid problems and especially to advance the cause of those with thyroid eye disease’

BTF Nurse Award 2010

Nikki Kieffer, Endocrine Nurse Specialist, Leicester Royal Infirmary, is the recipient of this year's award for her study entitled: Thyroxine replacement in pregnancy and pre-conception: An audit of patient and GP knowledge of guidelines and current clinical practice in Leicestershire.

Soy? Coconut Oil? Kelp? Don’t know what to believe? False claims, quick fixes and promises exposed here.


BTF-Thyroid.org
Associated with:

British Thyroid Association - medical professionals encouraging the highest standards in patient care and research.

British Association of Endocrine and Thyroid Surgeons - the representative body of British Surgeons who have a specialist interest in surgery of the endocrine glands (thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal)