What is the difference between congenital and acquired hypothyroidism?

Hypothyroidism in infants is usually congenital; acquired causes become more common with age. Most congenital causes involve dysgenesis of the gland, but genetic disorders affecting thyroid hormone synthesis may occur. Most hypothyroid infants are detected through routine newborn screening.

What is congenital hypothyroidism in children?

Hypothyroidism refers to an underactive thyroid gland. Congenital hypothyroidism occurs when a newborn infant is born without the ability to make normal amounts of thyroid hormone. The condition occurs in about 1 in 3,000-4,000 children, is most often permanent and treatment is lifelong.

What are the types of congenital hypothyroidism?

Congenital hypothyroidism is classified into permanent and transient CH. Permanent CH refers to a persistent deficiency of thyroid hormone that requires life-long treatment. Transient CH refers to a temporary deficiency of thyroid hormone, discovered at birth, but then recovering to normal thyroid hormone production.

Is congenital hypothyroidism a birth defect?

Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is inadequate thyroid hormone production in newborn infants. It can occur because of an anatomic defect in the gland, an inborn error of thyroid metabolism, or iodine deficiency.

How do babies get congenital hypothyroidism?

Most cases of congenital hypothyroidism happen because the thyroid doesn’t form correctly in the baby during pregnancy. At birth, the baby may have no thyroid gland at all, or have a small, partially developed gland. Why this happens is often unknown, but in some cases it is genetic.

What causes congenital hypothyroidism in babies?

The most common cause of congenital hypothyroidism is failure of the thyroid gland to grow before birth. Sometimes the gland is present but doesn’t make the thyroid hormones. Other times the thyroid gland is located in an abnormal place in the neck. This makes it work less well.

How is congenital hypothyroidism diagnosed?

The diagnosis should be confirmed by finding an elevated serum TSH and low T4 or free T4 level. Other diagnostic tests, such as thyroid radionuclide uptake and scan, thyroid sonography, or serum thyroglobulin determination may help pinpoint the underlying etiology, although treatment may be started without these tests.

What are the risk factors of congenital hypothyroidism?

The most important prognostic factors which had significant effect on congenital hypothyroidism included twin, birth season, maturity, jaundice at birth, birth weight, age at pregnancy, maternal anemia and goiter, gestational age, delivery type, father’s education and smoking status, and consanguinity.

Is hypothyroidism genetically inherited?

Thyroid disease is often hereditary “More than 75% of the time, patients with thyroid disease tell me that someone on one side of their family has thyroid disease,” says Dr. Nasr. “The more family members that have thyroid disease, the greater the likelihood that there is a hereditary root.

Does congenital hypothyroidism go away?

Although hypothyroidism doesn’t go away, treatment does successfully relieve symptoms. Kids with acquired or congenital hypothyroidism are treated the same way as adults: with levothyroxine (Synthroid®, Levoxyl®, Unithroid®) — a synthetic thyroid hormone that replaces the natural hormone their thyroid can’t make.