children s health issues
Hypothyroidism in Infants and Children
Diagnosis
Newborn screening test Blood tests Sometimes imaging tests Because infants with hypothyroidism at birth often do not have any abnormal findings, doctors do routine Newborn Screening Tests . If the screening is positive, tests to determine levels of thyroid hormones in the blood ( Once congenital hypothyroidism is diagnosed, doctors may do imaging tests such as Radionuclide Scanning or Thyroid function tests are also done in older children and adolescents who doctors think may have hypothyroidism.Biotinis a common over-the-counter supplement that can interfere with thyroid function tests by causing false readings of certain hormones. Use ofbiotinshould be stopped for at least 2 days before tests are done. Ultrasonography may also be done if the thyroid gland feels asymmetric or the doctor feels a growth (nodule) on the thyroid gland. Doctors do Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) (MRI) of the brain and pituitary gland in children who have central hypothyroidism to rule out problems in the brain. 