Discharge Instructions for Hypothyroidism and Myxedema (Child)

Medicine

Make sure your child takes their thyroid hormone medicine exactly as directed. Your child will need this medicine for life.

• Never stop your child’s treatment on your own. Your child needs this medicine to support normal brain development and normal growth. Without the right treatment, your child may have a permanently lower IQ and be shorter than normal.

• Have your child take the medicine at the same time every day.

• Keep the pills in a container that is labeled with the days of the week. This will help you know if you’ve given the medicine to your child.

• Give the medicine with a liquid. But don't use soy milk. It can make it harder to absorb thyroid hormone. It's important that your child fully swallows the pill.

• If your child or baby can’t swallow a pill, crush the pill and give it in a small amount of water. You can also use a liquid form of the hormone.

• Give the medicine with the same food or drink each day. This will help control the amount of thyroid hormone in your child’s system.

• After your child takes the medicine, wait for 4 hours before giving your child foods or drinks that contain soy.

• Wait for 4 hours before giving your child iron supplements, antacids that contain either calcium or aluminum hydroxide, or calcium supplements. Regular amounts of cow’s milk are likely OK.

Other home care

• Keep a list on your phone or in your wallet that includes:

  • Your name and contact information.

  • The name and contact information for your child’s health care provider.

  • The name of your child’s disease and what treatment they have had.

  • The brand name and dose of your child’s medicine.

• Encourage your child to eat a high-fiber, low-calorie diet. This helps to relieve constipation and maintain a healthy weight.

• Encourage your child to exercise. Enroll your child in activities that are physically active.

Signs to watch for

During your routine visits, tell the health care provider if your child has any signs of too much thyroid hormone (hyperthyroidism), such as:

• Restlessness.

• Fast weight loss.

• Sweating.

• Skin or hair changes.

• Fast heartbeat.

Follow-up care

• Follow up with your child's health care provider as directed.

• Make and keep appointments to see the provider and get lab work. Your child will need to have hormone levels checked for the rest of their life because of growth and changing metabolism.

When to contact your doctor

Contact the health care provider or get medical care right away if your child has:

• Extreme tiredness.

• Puffy hands, face, or feet.

• Irregular heartbeat.

• Confusion or changes in behavior.

Call 911

Call 911 or get immediate medical care if any of the following occur:

• Chest pain

• Trouble breathing

• Loss of consciousness