source: Boston Children's Hospital

year: N/A

Hyperthyroidism (also known as an overactive thyroid) occurs when the thyroid gland makes too much thyroid hormone (thyroxine). Hyperthyroidism is relatively rare in childhood, occurring in about 1 in 5,000 children and adolescents. With the right diagnosis and management, hyperthyroidism is a treatable disease, and your child can go on to live a full, active, and enjoyable life. There are several possible causes of hyperthyroidism. Graves disease is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism in children and adolescents. This is an autoimmune disorder in which the body produces thyroid-stimulating antibodies, which stimulate the thyroid gland to produce too much thyroid hormone.

Neonatal Graves disease is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism in newborns. This happens after a mother with Graves disease passes her thyroid-stimulating antibodies to her child, causing the baby to have a temporary case of hyperthyroidism. Neonatal Graves disease goes away once the mother’s antibodies are cleared from the baby’s bloodstream, usually after a few weeks.

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