TSH Levels in Children

The thyroid gland, a small gland located near the trachea, produces thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). TSH levels are checked by drawing blood and looking for TSH in the blood. TSH levels are measured in units per micromililter. Acceptable TSH ranges depend on the age of the child and a pediatrician or pediatric endocrinologis views the results to determine if they are acceptable.

TSH Range

High TSH levels are a sign of hypoactive thyroid, which means the thyroid does not produce enough TSH. A hyperactive thyroid means the body produces too much TSH. Diseases that can cause hypoactive or hyperactive thyroid are Grave's Disease, Hashimoto's diseases, goiters, congenital abnormalities or tumors. Symptoms associated with hyper and hypoactive thyroid include hair loss, digestive problems, weight loss or gain and fatigue.

Infants

Infants, depending on prematurity and size, will have different acceptable TSH ranges than full-term babies. Babies born early, between 26 and 32 weeks of gestation have normal TSH levels of 0.8 to 6.9 U/ml. Full term babies are administered a TSH test at day four, with normal values coming in around 1.3 to 16 U/ml. This is the average range for infants from newborn to 11 months old.

Toddlers to Teenagers

All children and teenagers are expected to have the same normal range of 0.5 to 4.8 U/ml. These ranges may be checked monthly or a few times a year. Testing is dependent on how stable the child is on their current medication regimen.

Unacceptable Ranges

If the TSH range is unacceptable, children may be put on medication to stimulate or decease the TSH hormone. Hypothyroidism is often treated with the drug Synthroid and hyperthyroidism may be treated with iodine or the drug methimazole.