Question
My newborn is 19 days old and has a high thyroid hormone level with TSH 12.4. (Breastfeeding) The mother’s TSH levels were high throughout pregnancy. Now at 19 days, how long should I wait before rechecking? If the TSH remains high after rechecking, how should the treatment be handled, is it trouble (troublesome)? Do I need to take medication or be hospitalized for medication, and how much will it cost (at a level 3 hospital)?
Answer
This condition is primarily due to congenital hypothyroidism, leading to continuous increase in the secretion of thyroid-stimulating hormone. It’s best to undergo a comprehensive thyroid function test. If the other four items are normal and only TSH is high, it generally doesn’t require lifelong Levothyroxine medication. This is a symptom of congenital hypothyroidism. Ensuring thyroid hormone levels are normal is sufficient. It will not affect normal growth and development; follow-up checks should be done every two weeks. If the TSH remains high after rechecking, oral Levothyroxine should be taken. The treatment is not troublesome, but follow-up checks should be done every two weeks to adjust the Levothyroxine dosage based on the results. Additionally, regular growth and development and neurodevelopmental checks should be done to monitor any developmental delays.