Hashimoto's Thyroiditis: How to Care for Your Child

The thyroid makes hormones that do many important things, such as helping with brain development, growth, pubertal development, and how the body uses energy. Hashimoto's thyroiditis is a chronic (ongoing) condition where the body's immune system attacks the thyroid.

Some people with Hashimoto's thyroiditis (also called chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis) have normal thyroid function for a while. But over time, the thyroid stops making enough thyroid hormone. If needed, health care providers prescribe thyroid hormone medicine to bring the body's levels back to normal and help with symptoms.

• If your health care provider prescribed thyroid medicine:

  • Give it exactly as instructed.

  • Ask if your child needs to take it on an empty stomach.

  • Check to see if your child needs to make any diet changes.

• Tell your health care provider if your child starts any new medicines, vitamins, or dietary supplements.

• Support your child's overall well-being by helping them:

  • Eat a healthy diet with whole-grain breads and cereals, lean meats like chicken and other good sources of protein (such as fish, eggs, beans, and nuts), and plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.

  • Be physically active every day.

• Be sure your child goes to all follow-up visits for exams, blood tests to check thyroid hormone levels, and medicine changes (if needed).

Your child has:

• any new or worsening symptoms such as tiredness, constipation (hard, infrequent poops), swelling of the neck, jitteriness, or a fast heartbeat

• a goiter (an enlarged thyroid gland that forms a swelling on the front of the neck) that gets larger or causes pain or trouble swallowing

• trouble taking the thyroid medicine

Your child is very sleepy or confused, or has a seizure.

What are the symptoms of Hashimoto's thyroiditis? Most kids with Hashimoto's thyroiditis have symptoms because their thyroid hormones are low (called hypothyroidism). The most common symptoms are a goiter and not growing well or going through puberty as expected. Other symptoms can include feeling tired and cold, constipation, dry skin, and weight gain.

Less often, kids with Hashimoto's thyroiditis can have too much thyroid hormone (called hyperthyroidism). This can cause weight loss, jitteriness, fast heartbeat, and other symptoms.

How is Hashimoto's thyroiditis treated? Health care providers decide on treatment based on symptoms and blood test results. They usually treat hypothyroidism and goiters with thyroid hormone taken as a pill. Sometimes, they do surgery to treat a goiter, especially if the thyroid gets big enough to cause problems with swallowing.

What causes Hashimoto's thyroiditis? The exact cause is not known. Some people have a genetic (inherited) tendency that makes them more likely to get Hashimoto's thyroiditis.