Q: My daughter is 2 months old. Her thyroid test report says - T4 (Free Thyroxine) is 1.46 ug/dl; TSH (Thyroid stimulating Hormone) is 10.66 miu/ml. Is it normal? Are there any complications?

A:The levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), secreted by the pituitary gland is high (upto 40 mIU/L) in the first week after birth. It comes down to around 9 mIU/L by about 20 weeks and thereafter declines further to near adult levels of 5 mIU/L. The levels of free thyroxine (FT4), secreted by the thyroid gland is around 0.8-2.2 ng/dl. It appears that the levels of both hormones of your daughter are within the normal range for age. However it is advisable to repeat the tests after a gap of 4-6 weeks or earlier, if there are any clinical features to suggest hypothyroidism, for reconfirmation.