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International Thyroid Awareness Week 2016 begins on May 23rd and continues through to May 29th, so with that in mind, I have changed my Facebook page and Facebook group banners to support this.
This year’s week-long campaign is focusing on hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism in young children in particular. So I will be posting things in relation to this throughout the week.
International Thyroid Awareness Week this year will be aiming to encourage parents to have their children tested if they think they are displaying the symptoms of hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism. Some children are born without a thyroid gland which is why testing at birth is also important.
It is important for parents to be able to spot the signs and symptoms. Testing is simple and children benefit from early diagnosis and management of the condition. Passing thyroid disorders on to your children is possible if you or anyone else in your family have a thyroid disorder. It can also show up with no known family history, too, though.
My doctor told me that I have a 1 in 3 chance of passing my thyroid condition it on to a daughter and a 1 in 7 chance to a son.
In children, hypothyroidism can show as a child that moves slowly compared to their friends and not appearing to grow as fast. They may be often tired and sometimes sluggish. A child with hyperthyroidism could be overly active, fidgety, irritable and easily upset.
If thyroid hormone imbalances are undiagnosed and left untreated, they may have a detrimental effect on a child’s brain development, growth, performance in school, puberty, overall metabolism and general well-being. However, with diagnosis and proper treatment, children can lead normal and healthy lives.
Read my article on Hypothyroidism In Children here.
Read my article on Congenital Hypothyroidism here.
Where Can I Order Testing From?
If your doctor won’t test your child for a thyroid condition but you believe they may have one, or if they won’t run all the tests you need, you can explore ordering your own from online lab services.
Medichecks is a popular place in the UK, where you can order the all important thyroid function test, cortisol testing for your adrenals and thyroid antibodies to check for autoimmune hypothyroidism (Hashimoto’s).
LetsGetChecked cover most countries, and offer the thyroid function test, Hashimoto’s testing and many more, all from the comfort of your own home.
Do you know the signs of a thyroid condition in children?
You can click on the hyperlinks in the above post to learn more and see references to information given.
See also:
The book You, Me and Hypothyroidism: When Someone You Love Has Hypothyroidism, which is for those who know a thyroid patient, such as parents and carers. Learn how you can support your loved one with hypothyroidism.
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