Is there such a thing as mild congenital hypothyroidism or am I just a bit bonkers.

[MellowMarshmallow]

Ds2 (6) had number of minor health issues since birth, low immunity, ear infections, breathing problems dx as 'recurrent croup'. He is also about 5kg overweight for his height, has very poor muscle tone and dyspraxia.

A friend mentioned hypothyroidism because when untreated it can cause clumsiness and learning difficulties, but I dismissed as all babies tested at birth....except I found out today that there are no test results for him, so the blood was taken but no result ever recorded.

. I am now driving myself insane wondering if that has been the route of his problems but wouldn't he be desperately unwell after not being treated for so long? Or could he have a really mild case.

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Thanks. that's my third thread in a row that was dead on arrival. I have a knack for it.

Nobody can answer your question, that's why love

See your gp. Good luck x

I would try not to worry so much.... Even if you're right then the chances are it'll be sorted fine. See your GP. Good luck!

OP I think children with un diagnosed thyroid problems have quite obvious physical deformities. Small bodies, abnormally large hands and feet and a large head, enlarged tongue. It used to be called cretinism. It is extremely rare in the UK/Europe and I think your child would be very unwell if this was the case.

Thanks for that. I couldn't find much about it online as it never goes undetected thanks to the testing and I didn't know if it was something that was all or nothing, or had degrees of severity.

Sorry read that back and it sounds a bit aggressive when written down. Really genuinely meant thanks. It sounded ok in my head, but crap once posted. Time for bed.

My daughter has congenital hypothyroidism. She has no thyroid gland. It's a complex condition if there is a partial gland present, or if it's not working correctly, as the thyroid hormones can then be all over the place.

Hopefully your son has now had a blood test and you know either way, but let me know if you want to know anymore about CH.

My DD is a healthy, bright, bubbly little girl who is wholly reliant on medication. Cretinism has been eradicated in countries practising the heel prick test, however no system is infallible and I know of a child whose test went missing in the system and went undiagnosed for a number of months. It is, of course, an easily treatable condition, but not without complications/concerns re links with other difficulties like clumsiness, hearing loss, etc.

If your child had congenital hypothyroidism and was untreated she would most likely have severe and obvious complications by now. The thyroid is crucial in terms of brain development and physical development in the first 3 years.
Saying that, there is a range of what is normal and some people feel crap even when they are in the normal range just at the lower end.
You could always have her blood tested and see what's going on.

I would agree with sticky bean my mum and all six of her siblings have varying degrees of hypothyroidism. Hers is subclinical ie normally you wouldn't bother treating but due to her family history they offered her some levothyroxine as she had very high cholesterol levels for someone who watches what they eat and exercises every day. No harm
In getting bloods rechecked??

The thing is, in children, hypothyroidism is quite a different condition to adult onset hypothyroidism. Pre-diagnosis my daughter was so symptomatic, we nearly lost her. In older children, there is transient hypothyroidism whereby the thyroid can have limited function or just be functioning in a random pattern - as children, this can be really hard for these patients to describe how they feel and describe what "normal" actually is.

Hi,

My daughter has CH, was diagnosed at birth (presented as a large neck goitre) and was poorly for a few days in NICU.
She is now a healthy and happy 3 year old, also dependent on Levothyroxine.
Have you had test results back yet?

Glee and Mrs - snap! My DD has CH I knew there must be others here! I hope your little ones are taking their meds well and maintaining their levels.

OP - if it were the congenital form you would have known by know. The lack of development in untreated babies can be huge. You wouldn't be wondering if there was something - you would have had a diagnosis years ago, due to developmental delays.

But as a pp has said, if it's not a total lack of thyroid, just being at the low end of the 'normal' range, it could cause the issues you mention. Do you have a. Family history of autoimmune conditions?

I have 3 DCs, they are all treated similarly, eat the same meals, do the same (limited!) exercise. Ds2 is much heavier for his age, clumsy, sleeps like a log, complains of aches and pains a lot, finds it difficult to shrug off a cold etc. The others are skinny minnies, hyper, don't need much sleep, eat loads and don't put on weight.

DS2 had a thyroid check and although it was 'normal' and has not been treated, it was at the low end and I know that I feel crap at the low end of normal and have to up my medication to bring it up to the top of the normal range. I will take him back if things don't improve in case his levels have slipped further.

I think you should get your DS checked just in case and perhaps find ways to boost his metabolism.

But that's probably not congenital hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism possibly, but not the congenital type.

From my own personal research, babies with CH who are untreated are sleepy, have prolonged jaundice, low muscle tone slow digestion, a specific type of cry. It's not seen very often these days because of the success of the newborn screening programme. These babies wouldn't develop physically or mentally in the way you expect. Lack of thyroid hormone is devastating to a child's development.

He may well have a thyroid issue, but it probably isn't CH. I don't mean this to sound flippant, but it feels a bit like we're comparing a cold with flu. Regardless of the symptoms, a cold isn't mild flu!

I hope you get some answers OP.