Hormonal Health

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Hormonal Health

Many parents assume they don’t have to worry about their kids and hormones until puberty hits, but this is not the case. Our body does amazing daily work with the help of hormones, and sometimes when they get out of whack it’s necessary to get a pediatrician’s diagnosis and help to even things out again. At Wellness Pediatrics in Birmingham, MI, Dr. Suhad Yaldo practices functional medicine to treat children from the inside out, addressing not just the acute condition but its root cause.

Adrenal Insufficiency

The body has two adrenal glands, located just above the kidneys. These glands work in conjunction with glands in the brain – the hypothalamus and pituitary. But even with this support, when the adrenals don’t make enough of the cortisol hormone, which breaks down fats, proteins, and carbohydrates, adrenal insufficiency occurs. A child can have symptoms like fatigue, decreased appetite, weight loss, and muscle weakness, and may experience nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Adrenal insufficiency can affect infants, with major signs of this condition being difficulty feeding and a failure to regain their birth weight. Autoimmune disease may be behind adrenal insufficiency in kids, but so could the abrupt stopping of steroid medicines being used to treat other conditions. The problem could be genetic or caused by an infection that damages the adrenal gland.

Excess Weight

Excess weight, sometimes referred to as childhood obesity, is not typically associated with a medical cause. The simple lack of activity and overload of calories contribute most greatly to excess weight in kids. Increased weight gain caused by lifestyle conditions can have hormonal side effects that lead to abnormalities such as:

Accelerated height growth
Early puberty
Polycystic ovarian syndrome
Excess body hair
Insulin resistance
High cholesterol

It’s important for parents to keep in mind the mental and emotional side effects of excess weight gain in their kids. Children who are larger than they’re supposed to be can suffer from low confidence and teasing by their peers, issues that can stay with them permanently and effect their physical and mental well-being for a lifetime.

Thyroid Disease

The thyroid is in the neck, and this is a gland that kids love to learn about because its shape is often compared to a butterfly. This incredibly important gland makes hormones that are essential for growth, not to mention helping a person stay energetic and alert.

In hypothyroidism, the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormone, so they may experience extreme fatigue, weight gain, decreased growth, and constipation. Hyperthyroidism is at the opposite end of the spectrum and the gland becomes large when too much hormone is produced – the thyroid may even be visible and look like a lump in the throat. Too much of the hormone speeds up the metabolism and can cause weight loss and anxious behavior.

Hormonal Health Care from Birmingham, MI, Pediatrician Near Me

Diagnosing hormonal health problems in children can be tricky, because so many of the conditions masquerade as other health issues. Endocrine disorders are treatable, so it’s important to have these imbalances diagnosed as soon as possible to protect your children from unnecessary discomfort or additional health problems.

Be sure to keep up with your annual visits to your pediatrician, but also make a special appointment if you recognize that something is off with your child’s behavior, weight, or energy. These could all be signs of a hormonal health problem and Dr. Yaldo at Wellness Pediatrics in Birmingham, Michigan is prepared to review your child’s health from top to bottom.

Hormone inconsistencies need to be recognized at the root source so they can be appropriately diagnosed and treated to help your child get back to a healthy, strong, feel-good place. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.