How can you care for yourself at home?

Congenital hypothyroidism is treated by giving thyroid hormone medication in a pill form called levothyroxine. Many children will require treatment for life. Levothyroxine should be crushed and given once daily, mixed with a small amount of water, formula, or breast milk using a dropper or syringe.

Nursing considerations Levothyroxine should be taken on an empty stomach with water, at least 1 hour before eating. Even coffee has been shown to interfere with the absorption of T4. And levothyroxine is incompatible with many other medications, so it should be taken alone.

1. Take your thyroid hormone medicine exactly as prescribed. Call your doctor or nurse call line if you think you are having a problem with your medicine.
2. Tell your doctor about all prescription, herbal, or over-the-counter products you take.
3. Take care of yourself.

Doctors called pediatric endocrinologists treat congenital hypothyroidism. The main treatment is to give the baby thyroid hormone (levothyroxine). This condition must be treated within the first four weeks after birth or the intellectual disability may be permanent.

Congenital hypothyroidism is one of the most common treatable causes of intellectual disability. Screening programs have been established in most developed countries to detect and treat this disorder, which affects approximately 1 in 2000 to 1 in 4000 newborns [1,2].

Some infants are born with temporary hypothyroidism. This can be caused by things such as premature birth, thyroid disease in the mother, or medicines the mother had during pregnancy. This form of hypothyroidism usually goes away by itself in the first weeks or months of life.

In other cases, the symptoms of hypothyroidism will go away shortly after you start treatment. For those with particularly low levels of thyroid hormones, hypothyroidism is a life-long condition that will need to be controlled with medication on a regular schedule.

If untreated, congenital hypothyroidism can lead to intellectual disability and slow growth. In the United States and many other countries, all hospitals test newborns for congenital hypothyroidism. If treatment begins in the first two weeks after birth, infants usually develop normally.

Problems for babies can include:

• Infantile myxedema, a condition that’s linked to severe hypothyroidism. It can cause dwarfism, intellectual disabilities and other problems.
• Low birthweight.
• Problems with growth and brain and nervous system development.
• Thyroid problems.
• Miscarriage or stillbirth.

Both subclinical hypothyroidism and overt hyperthyroidism in mothers in pregnancy were associated with increased risk of autism spectrum disorders in children.

When the thyroid gland doesn’t make enough thyroid hormone it’s called hypothyroidism. Congenital hypothyroidism is when the disorder is present in a baby at birth. If not treated, it can lead to serious health problems.

However, the experts do agree that the risk for complications is real if you should go into a pregnancy with hypothyroidism or develop it after you conceive. These risks include: miscarriage. gestational hypertension or preeclampsia.