What is Congenital Hypothyroidism?
Congenital hypothyroidism is caused when the thyroid gland does not develop properly while the baby is in the mother’s womb. Consequently, after the baby is born, he or she experiences a deficiency in the production of the thyroid hormone. Fortunately, in most cases, these are detected early as all newborns are screened for this condition and can be immediately treated.
What is Type I Diabetes Mellitus?
In Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, the body does not produce enough or any insulin. This occurs because the child’s own immune system destroys beta-cells within the pancreas’ Islets of Langerhans that produce insulin. Your child may experience thirst, drink lots of fluids, urinate frequently or even wake up several times during the night to go to the bathroom.
What is Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia?
Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia occurs when the adrenal glands fail to normally produce a variety of steroid hormones that regulate the water and salt balance, protein and fat metabolism, as well as male sex hormones. This causes abnormal sexual development and malformations of the female external genitalia. In the first couple weeks of life, your baby may experience lethargy, poor weight gain or weight loss, vomiting and dehydration. This is a true medical emergency. Milder forms may present during childhood with an early growth spurt, premature puberty including acne, early pubic hair development and armpit odor. Girls with this condition may have abnormalities of their external genitalia.
What is Growth Hormone Deficiency?
Growth hormone is made in the pituitary gland and is one of several important hormones that regulate growth and other aspects of normal metabolism. When the pituitary gland does not produce a sufficient amount of growth hormone, growth will be slower than normal and your child may be smaller and appear younger than their peers. Growth hormone deficiency can occur at any age. Your child’s growth pattern is very important in making the diagnosis and thus it is very important to bring your child’s growth chart to the appointment.