LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 3, 2008) – Children treated for hypothyroidism aren’t likely to drop pounds with treatment for the condition says a new study in the Journal of Pediatrics. The study is the first to examine the link between hypothyroidism treatment and weight loss in pediatric patients.“Parents of overweight children often desire a ‘quick fix’ for the problem and request thyroid tests, but, unfortunately, screening for hypothyroidism is not the answer,” said the study’s lead author, Dr. Jefferson P. Lomenick, an assistant professor at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine Department of Pediatrics’ Division of Pediatric Endocrinology. “Most experts agree thyroid function tests are generally unnecessary in an overweight child if he/she has normal linear growth and no other symptoms of hypothyroidism. The results of our study support this.”
