How Do I Recognize a Thyroid Disease in My Child or Adolescent?

Thyroid disease doesn't only affect adults; it can impact children and teens, as well. In this video, integrative medicine expert Aviva Romm, MD, discusses the various symptoms of hypo and hyperthyroidism to be aware of in your child or adolescent.

Transcript

00:00

A lot of us think about thyroid disease

00:06

as something that just affects adults. But actually it can affect kids and teenagers as well. We want to look for some of the same symptoms-- in fact,

00:14

pretty much all of the same symptoms that we would expect in an adult. So for kids with hypo-functioning thyroid

00:21

or slow thyroid, you want to look at things like weight gain, fatigue, constipation,

00:27

dry skin, and irritable mood. And for young women, they can have irregularities in their menstrual cycles.

00:34

For hyper-functioning thyroid, what you want to look for is extreme appetite-- like, no matter how much your kid eats,

00:41

they're just still really hungry. They can be losing weight no matter how much they're eating. They might have to run to the bathroom a lot

00:48

more often than usual. And they might be very irritable or amped up and have trouble sleeping.

00:54

And also, your child with a hyper-functioning thyroid might be complaining that they just can't sit still. They feel very agitated, or they might notice