Childhood Thyroid Gland Disorders

The thyroid gland is located in the front of the neck and produces the thyroid hormone, which controls the speed at which the body's metabolic rate or the rate at which chemical reactions function in the body. Problems that can effect the thyroid gland in childhood include the following:

• Hypothyroidism . Hypothyroidism is where the thyroid is underactive (i.e., produces an insufficient amount of thyroid hormones). Hypothyroidism is the most common thyroid disorder.
• Hyperthyroidism . Hyperthyroidism means overactivity of the thyroid gland, resulting in too much thyroid hormone in the bloodstream. The oversecretion of thyroid hormones leads to overactivity of the body's metabolism.

The information in this page is presented in summarised form and has been taken from the following source(s):
1. University of Maryland Medical System Online Health Guides: http://www.umm.edu/