Are our children at risk of hypothyroidism?

Q: I am a 25 years old male suffering from hypothyroidism. My wife is also suffering from the same. Are our children at risk of hypothyroidism?

A:Hypothyroidism especially autoimmune type (majority of cases have this type of disease) has a strong genetic background. This has been proven in Indian subjects as well. Due to genetic background there are higher chances of your children to have hypothyroidism. There are no specific preventive measures but avoid cauliflower, cabbage and broccoli. Excessive weight gain may also predispose to hypothyroidism. More important is to keep looking for symptoms of hypothyroidism in your children to detect it early. The symptoms in children include lethargy, weight gain, cold intolerance, poor school performance. To know whether you have autoimmune thyroid disease or not, get anti-TPO test done.