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Information on Thyroid Tests in Babies

Thyroid tests are commonly included in the newborn screening tests performed at the hospital after birth. They are also commonly included in the two-week baby checkup. The thyroid test checks whether the baby is producing enough of the thyroid hormone, T4.

  1. Testing for Hypothyroidism

    • The test for hypothyroidism is commonly performed on newborn babies, along with the PKU tests, and is also performed at two weeks. Hypothyroidism causes the normal balance of chemical reactions in your body to be altered.

    What Does the Test Measure?

    • The tests measures the amount of the thyroid hormone thyroxine, also known as T4, as well as the level of thyroid-stimulating hormone, also known as TSH.

    What Do the T4 Results Mean?

    • If the T4 level is below normal the normal range, which is typically 0.6 to 1.2 for newborns, then this means that the baby's thyroid gland is not producing enough T4.

    What do the TSH results mean?

    • If the TSH level is high, this means that the pituitary gland is producing a lot of TSH to try to stimulate the thyroid gland to produce more hormone.

    Diagnosis

    • If your baby has a low T4 level and a high TSH level, this means that your baby has hypothyroidism, and will need to be treated daily with medication to replace the missing thyroid hormone.

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