Congenital Hypothyroidism
Congenital hypothyroidism is when a baby is born without enough thyroid hormone.
What Is Congenital Hypothyroidism?
Hypothyroidism means the body doesn’t make enough thyroid hormone for normal growth, bone development, and to control how the body uses energy to function (metabolism). When the metabolism slows down, many body functions slow down.
Newborns are tested for hypothyroidism at birth. Congenital hypothyroidism is when a baby is born without enough thyroid hormone. Treatment for low thyroid levels must be started in the first weeks of life to prevent permanent harm to the brain and learning problems.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Congenital Hypothyroidism?
Most babies don’t have symptoms of low thyroid levels at birth. Symptoms that may develop soon after birth are:
- Feeding problems
- Constipation
- Enlarged tongue
How Is Congenital Hypothyroidism Treated?
The treatment of hypothyroidism is simple, safe, and effective. You will give your baby a pill each day to replace the missing thyroid hormone. The medicine is called levothyroxine (Synthroid®).
Since babies cannot swallow a pill, you will need to:
- Crush the pill.
- Mix it with 0.2 mL of sterile water, human milk, or formula.
- Give it to your baby with a needleless syringe or a spoon. Your child’s doctor or health care provider will tell you which to use.
Don’t put the medicine in your baby’s bottle. If they don’t finish the bottle, they will not get enough medicine.
Follow-up
Your baby will see their doctor or health care provider every 2 to 3 months. Their blood will be tested at each visit to make sure they’re getting the right dose of medicine. It may need to be tested more often. Your baby will likely need thyroid medicine and regular blood tests for the rest of their life.
Helping Hands Patient Education Materials
Written and illustrated by medical, nursing and allied health professionals at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Helping Hand instructions are intended as a supplement to verbal instructions provided by a medical professional. The information is periodically reviewed and revised to reflect our current practice. However, Nationwide Children's Hospital is not responsible for any consequences resulting from the use or misuse of the information in the Helping Hands.
HH-I-346 | ©2012, revised 2023, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
