Alongside its army of hormones, the thyroid gland - located in the neck - controls important functions for the metabolism It acts directly on organs such as the heart, brain, and liver, regulating various activities, including heartbeat, menstrual cycles And in spite of performing an essential job for the balance of the body's functioning, it can happen that this gland stops producing a sufficient amount of hormones. In this case, the so-called hypothyroidism occurs, which causes a slowdown in several functions, such as heart rate, intestine and even growth, in addition to symptoms such as impaired memory capacity, fatigue It's a good idea to keep the pain in your muscles and joints in mind, drowsiness This condition affects many adults, but hypothyroidism can also occur in children.

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How hypothyroidism happens in children

According to Lorena Lima Amato, endocrinologist with a doctorate from the University of São Paulo, in the little ones this dysfunction can be congenital, that is, they are born without the thyroid gland - a rare situation and often of genetic origin. In other cases, the gland stops working over time.

"Hypothyroidism in children can be classified as primary, when the problem is in the thyroid gland; and secondary, when it is in the pituitary gland, a gland located in the central nervous system that releases hormones responsible for stimulating the thyroid", he explains. Hashimoto's thyroiditis , an autoimmune disease that leads to malfunction of the gland."

In addition, hypothyroidism is usually due to a deficiency of iodine Other less frequent causes are radiotherapy treatments of the head and neck, and the use of some medications containing lithium or amiodarone, for example.

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Main symptoms and consequences

The doctor explains that children with hypothyroidism may present, in addition to excessive sleepiness and reduced thinking speed (similar to adults), symptoms such as delayed growth In congenital hypothyroidism, on the other hand, if not treated quickly, this can lead to a severe cognitive deficit in the central nervous system that can be permanent (it is the most common cause of preventable mental deficiency)," he warns.

Establishing the diagnosis and starting treatment early is therefore critical to prevent sequelae, especially neurological ones. "In newborn Congenital hypothyroidism is usually asymptomatic, with nonspecific manifestations and slow onset, which makes clinical diagnosis difficult. TSH hormone In the neonatal screening program (Teste do Pezinho), timely treatment is possible, avoiding mental retardation. With regard to acquired disease, the diagnosis is confirmed from hormonal dosages in the blood test.

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Treatment for hypothyroidism in children

Lorena points out that when properly cared for, the child can lead a completely healthy life. The treatment is relatively easy, done essentially with thyroid hormone replacement, as is done in adults. Most of the time, the chance of side effects is quite low.

However, the endocrinologist says that attention is needed to do this hormone replacement correctly, because the medication must be taken on an empty stomach and 30 minutes before the first meal of the day.

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Source: Lorena Lima Amato, endocrinologist with a doctorate from the University of São Paulo.