Hypoplasia of the thyroid gland in children - a congenital disease caused by a deficiency of iodine in the body of a pregnant woman or a hereditary deficiency of enzymes involved in the synthesis of thyroid hormones. It is important to identify this disease right after birth.

The main functions of the thyroid gland

The main function of the thyroid gland is the formation and release into the blood and lymph hormones that regulate metabolism Improves metabolism and losing weight without dieting   in cells, and thus regulating the processes of growth, development and differentiation (acquisition of cell properties specific to a particular tissue) tissues.

Thyroid cells absorb and accumulate iodine, and then it was synthesized from the amino acid tyrosine and thyroid hormones - thyroxine Thyroxine - the main thyroid hormone   (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). The human body does not produce iodine, so for the proper functioning it must regularly deal with food and water. Regulates the secretion of thyroid hormone Thyroid hormones: mechanism of action and physiological effects   with the help of the pituitary thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), and the synthesis and secretion of TSH is regulated by hormones of the hypothalamus and thyroid hormones (the more thyroid hormone in the blood, the greater the need to TTG and vice versa).

With a lack of iodine in humans develop symptoms of deficiency of thyroid hormone - hypothyroidism. Most suffer from iodine deficiency, pregnant women: this may affect the development of the thyroid gland in the fetus, that is, cause it to hypoplasia or aplasia.

Symptoms of thyroid hypoplasia in the newborn

Hypoplasia of the thyroid gland - is a congenital anomaly of the prostate, which is accompanied by insufficient development of breast tissue and decrease its function. Hypoplasia develops in the womb because of a shortage of iodine in her body.

Deficiency of thyroid hormones in the blood leads to the rapid development of significant breaches in the body of the child, especially if a significant hypoplasia.

Suspect the presence of hypoplasia of the thyroid gland in the newborn child can be the case if the child is lethargic, sleeps a lot and not breastfeeding, she had no reaction to bright objects and loud sounds. A sign of hypoplasia of the thyroid gland may also be prolonged physiological jaundice and chronic constipation.

Further development of hypoplasia of the thyroid gland in the baby

Depending on the degree of underdevelopment and manifests mostly lag in the physical and psychological development. Such children have a poor appetite, constant lethargy and sleepiness, almost does not develop, or it develops very slowly, there is hoarseness.

There is abnormal development of the musculoskeletal system: long bones shorter, dense, long-term growth areas are not closed. The skull has a distinctive shape, deformed downward. Parietal and frontal bones thicken.

The appearance of the child is very characteristic: small stature, short limbs, bulging belly, big head, puffy face, broad nose, open mouth (tongue may be increased in size) and a meaningless expression.

Children with thyroid hypoplasia have a peculiar character: they are closed, unsociable, sluggish, unsociable. Sometimes these children are flashes of aggressiveness or bouts of depression Depression - a little more than a bad mood But they do not stay long, if others are child friendly. Psychological development can vary from small disturbances (mild retardation) to significant changes and even a complete idiot.

Mild hypoplasia of the thyroid symptoms of the disease can be lethargy and lack of alertness of the child, combined with a slight increase, clumsy movements, and some delays in speech development.

Diagnostics

Hypoplasia of the thyroid gland of the fetus is rarely detected during pregnancy. Therefore, all newborns taken blood test for thyroid stimulating hormone - TSH. When hypoplastic thyroid function it will be reduced, that is in the blood is low T3 and T4 hormones. The amount of TSH is always elevated.

The child, who has shown great blood levels of TSH, a fully examined: carried ultrasound of the thyroid gland, bone age X-ray of the child and determine the level of thyroid hormones and TSH levels.

If the diagnosis of hypoplasia of the thyroid gland was installed on time and assign adequate treatment (replacement thyroid hormone therapy), the irreversible changes in the brain tissue can be avoided and the child is developing according to its age.

Galina Romanenko

Chickenpox in children can occur very easily, so the disease is considered to be easy. However, there is no guarantee that a particular child's disease will occur easily, without complications. To reduce the risk of severe chickenpox, children today recommended to be vaccinated against the infection.

Chickenpox in kindergarten - how serious this is?

Chickenpox - a childhood infection that is caused by the herpes virus type 3 Herpes type 3 - causes chicken pox and shingles   varicella zoster virus and is traditionally considered to be easy. Indeed, the majority of children aged between two and 12 years suffer chickenpox easily, whereas teens and adults - a much harder and often with complications. In this regard, before parents have brought their children to the site of infection, so they had chickenpox in the safest age.

Yet statistics of recent years shows that not only young people and adults can seriously sick with chickenpox, approximately one in ten children of preschool and primary school age and suffers moderate or severe chickenpox.

How to protect your child from chickenpox? Since chicken pox is very contagious and when it appears in the kindergarten, all children get sick, who were in contact with the sick child, and some of them will be severe chickenpox.

In connection with this question becomes relevant for the prevention of chickenpox. Today, prevention of chickenpox in children is carried out by means of vaccination. Chickenpox vaccine contains live attenuated varicella zoster virus. After the introduction of the vaccine in the body of the child immediately begins to produce antibodies to infectious agents, the formation of specific immunity against chickenpox ends after 6 weeks. Child vaccinated after exposure to chicken pox or not sick at all, or carries the disease easily.

Chickenpox vaccine can be administered in an emergency - it helps to cope with the infection after contact with the sick is not older than 72 hours. Especially indicated vaccination against chickenpox weakened children with reduced immunity Immunity - types and characteristics in children in adults   - That these children chickenpox occurs most severely.

How is chickenpox in children

How to start chickenpox in children? Chickenpox in children often begins with the appearance of a slight fever and malaise, so at the beginning it is easy to take for starting a viral infection. After several hours on a background temperature elevation baby skin rashes appear first elements. Initially, this small red spots, but very quickly in the center of specks appear typical for chickenpox blisters with transparent contents. The rash can appear anywhere on the body - any preference in the localization of the chickenpox rash is not present.

Getting chickenpox in children may be different - or a very sharp contrast, invisible. In acute moderate or severe chickenpox during the child's temperature rises rapidly. A headache, pain in muscles and joints, and on this background there is a characteristic rash with blisters.

How to determine the child's chickenpox if it flows easily? Easy for chickenpox begins immediately with the appearance of blisters on the skin, if the individual elements of the rash, the disease may not be noticed.

The bubbles quickly turn into a crust, and the child can attend a nursery school staff, 5 days after the rash appears.

At moderate and severe disease duration is related to the duration period of eruptions: the more waves of skin rash (rash appear in waves, over a period of time), the longer will proceed infection - children's collective child can attend 5 days after the appearance of the skin the last elements of an eruption. On average, chickenpox suffer from 7 to 10 days, but sometimes, in the presence of complications, it may last for 3-4 weeks.

Chickenpox in children under one year, if the child's mother was sick as a child, and this infection is breastfeeding, is mild, but after six months of a child decreases blood levels of antibodies to the causative agent of chickenpox, sent his mother and the disease can be more severe. In children who are bottle-fed, antibodies to chickenpox Chickenpox: painful, but not dangerous Transmitted by the mother during pregnancy, disappear before, and these children may be hurt seriously. But harder all the sick children of mothers who have not had chickenpox - these children due to the lack of specific immunity and developmental immaturity of the immune system The immune system - how it works?   a whole chicken pox can be severe.