Frequently asked question: What are the possible causes of hypothyroidism that starts during childhood or adolescence?

If the thyroid gland starts to work slowly during childhood or adolescence, this is referred to as acquired hypothyroidism. This may arise due to a deficiency of iodine, although this no longer occurs in the Netherlands and in most other countries in Europe. This is because iodine is added to our food, which means that you ingest sufficient quantities every day. In other parts of the world, though, iodine deficiency does occur.
Hypothyroidism usually occurs due to an auto-immune reaction that results in an inflamed and damaged thyroid gland. For example, Hashimoto's thyroiditis or chronic auto-immune thyroiditis.
Other, less frequently occurring causes are: thyroid gland damage due to radiation, an operation, cancer, a thyroid gland inhibited by the use of some medicine or food (rare), or problems with the hypothalamus or pituitary (hypothyroidism of central origin).

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