Children's Endocrine Conditions in Sharjah

What are children's endocrine conditions?

Children's endocrine conditions are health problems caused by a hormone that is made in too large or too small an amount. Hormones are chemical messengers released by glands, and in a child they steer growth, energy, weight, puberty and how the body handles sugar and stress.

The glands most often involved are the thyroid in the neck, the adrenal glands above the kidneys, the pituitary gland at the base of the brain, which sets the pace for the others, and the ovaries or testes, which drive puberty. Because one gland often influences another, a single symptom such as slow growth can have a thyroid, pituitary or puberty cause, and working out which one is the purpose of the assessment.

At Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah, children with possible hormone conditions are seen by the paediatric team in the Pediatrics and Neonatology department. The team takes the history, examines your child, arranges tests and follows the results over time. Two related conditions have pages of their own: childhood diabetes and routine growth and development checks. This page covers the wider group of hormone problems.

Who needs it

A hormone assessment is worth arranging when a child shows one of these patterns:

• Thyroid signs: tiredness, feeling cold, dry skin, constipation, a slowing in growth, or a swelling at the front of the neck; or, at the other extreme, weight loss, a racing heart, shakiness, heat intolerance and poor sleep.
• Early puberty: breast development or pubic hair in a girl before the age of eight, or enlargement of the testes, pubic hair or a deepening voice in a boy before nine.
• Late puberty: a girl with no breast development by thirteen, or a boy with no testicular growth by fourteen.
• Growth concerns: a child who drops across the lines of a growth chart, or who is much shorter than both parents would suggest.
• Adrenal signs: early body odour or pubic hair in a young child, a baby with unclear genitals at birth, or a child who becomes very unwell with vomiting and weakness during ordinary illnesses.

Some of these findings come from newborn screening. The heel-prick blood test taken in the first days of life in the UAE includes checks on thyroid and adrenal hormones, and a result that needs follow-up is a common first reason for a baby to see the paediatric team.

A useful fact for parents: early body odour and a little pubic hair in a child of five to eight is often a harmless early switching-on of the adrenal glands, separate from true early puberty. A short assessment usually tells the two apart.

What happens

The first visit is a conversation and an examination. The pediatrician asks about symptoms, when they started, the heights and puberty timing of both parents and siblings, and any medicines or supplements your child takes. Your child is measured and weighed, the results are plotted on a growth chart, and the stage of puberty is checked gently, with a parent present and the child's privacy respected.

The next step is usually a blood test. Thyroid function tests measure the thyroid hormone and the pituitary signal that controls it. Other tests may look at puberty hormones, adrenal hormones, blood sugar, vitamin D or iron. Many hormones follow a daily rhythm, so some tests are best taken early in the morning, and your child's appointment is timed accordingly.

For growth and puberty questions, an X-ray of the left hand and wrist shows your child's bone age. Comparing bone age with calendar age tells the doctor how much growing time remains, which is often the most reassuring single piece of information for a family worried about height.

With the results in hand, the pediatrician explains what they show and agrees a plan. Many children need a period of watching and re-measuring. An underactive thyroid is usually treated with a daily hormone tablet and regular blood checks. When a condition needs specialist hormone treatment, such as growth hormone or medicine to pause early puberty, the pediatrician refers your child to a paediatric endocrinologist and continues shared care alongside that specialist.

Preparing for it

• Bring your child's health record book, including newborn screening results and any heights and weights measured elsewhere, from the UAE or abroad. Earlier measurements make the growth pattern far clearer.
• Note the heights of both parents and, if you know it, the age each started puberty.
• Write down the symptoms you have noticed and when each began, with dates for any photos that show changes over time.
• Ask when booking whether a morning blood test is planned and whether your child should fast beforehand.
• Bring a list of all medicines, creams and supplements, including anything bought abroad, because some contain hormones.

Afterwards

Your child leaves with a clear plan: a date for results, a repeat measurement, or a treatment start. Children on daily hormone treatment keep to a routine that fits school and family life, and the team adjusts doses as your child grows.

In the UAE summer, a child with an adrenal condition needs extra fluids and a written sick-day plan for fever, vomiting and heat illness. Before Ramadan, discuss with the pediatrician how any daily medicine fits around meal times for an older child who wishes to fast.

Contact the hospital if your child's symptoms change before the next review, or if a new swelling appears in the neck. **Go to the emergency department straight away if a child with an adrenal or pituitary condition is vomiting, very drowsy, pale and clammy, or collapses.**

Cost and insurance

Most UAE health insurance plans cover paediatric consultations and blood tests when there is a clinical reason, and a bone-age X-ray is usually covered too. Specialist hormone treatment, such as growth hormone, almost always needs pre-approval, and some plans limit cover for it. Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah can help you confirm your cover on 06 599 7777.