Guest guest Posted October 20, 2008 Report Share Posted October 20, 2008 Hi everyone, I am curious as to how many of you take your child with DS to get the blood test to check their thyroid? Do you really think its necessary if they seem to be okay.... I hate to take my son to get it cause he is not good at all with needles especially taking blood. Last year it took threee of us to hold him down and that just about killed me.. I couldn't handle it..Seeing him cry like that like I was the one that hurt him.... Any suggestions from you guys? Thanks, Debbie. mommy to 5 year old River...New MapQuest Local shows what's happening at your destination. Dining, Movies, Events, News more. Try it out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 20, 2008 Report Share Posted October 20, 2008 All four of mine go. Three of them once a year. My youngest is going every 3 weeks right now because his doctor has taken him off of his thyroid meds. He was born hypothyroid and has been on medication since he was new born. His doctor said she wants to see if his thyroid is functioning normally now. So far things look good. The other kids had normal thyroid functions at birth. Two of them continue to have normal thyroid functions. One of them developed hypothyroidism and has been on medication since she was 3. So yes, it IS important to have this test done on a yearly basis. We know it is uncomfortable but there are serious health issues that come from having a thyroid that is not functioning properly. Lee Ann “Don’t argue with an idiot. People watching may not be able to tell the difference.” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 20, 2008 Report Share Posted October 20, 2008 Pretty much with our children it's not a question of "if" they will have thyroid issues, but "when." Most kids with DS end up having thyroid issues as children or as adults. The needlesticks are far better than the consequences of an untreated thyroid. Get a prescription for Emla cream to use when your child needs bloodwork. They still don't like to be held down as young children, but pain is eliminated with the Emla cream. Eventually as they get bigger, the bloodwork is not usually a problem with the Emla cream. Our son has a CBC every year and thyroid testing every six months due to a kaput thyroid at birth. Consider It Done Transcription Services http://www.consideritdonetranscription.com __________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 20, 2008 Report Share Posted October 20, 2008 P.S. The CBC our son gets is to screen for leukemia, and that is done once a year. You should be getting that as well. So there are two reasons to have bloodwork done yearly, which I feel like makes it more worth it to put up with the bloodwork in a way, I guess. Consider It Done Transcription Services http://www.consideritdonetranscription.com __________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 20, 2008 Report Share Posted October 20, 2008 I found this on the NDSS website because I had never heard claim that all people with DS wind up with a thyroid problem.Hypothyroidism is the most common endocrine problem in children with Down syndrome. It is estimated that approximately 10 percent of children with Down syndrome have congenital or acquired thyroid disease. Studies of adults with Down syndrome vary widely, but the incidence of thyroid disease in adults with Down syndrome is believed to be between 13 and 50 percent. Hypothyroidism can occur at any time from infancy through adulthood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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