Beacon For Kids: Endocrinology
Beacon for Kids Endocrinology
Our Endocrinology Service see’s patients with a wide range of conditions. Our Team includes Consultants who specialise in Endocrinology, Paediatric Nurses and the wider Multidisciplinary team who work together to provide comprehensive family centred care.
We work closely with GP’s and families to carry out assessments, diagnostic investigations and management plans for a broad range Endocrinology conditions. We see children from 6 weeks old up to sixteen years’ old.
Conditions seen in Beacon For Kids Endocrinology Service
- Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
- Primary and Secondary Amenorrhea (Absent Periods)
- Heavy Menstrual Bleeding
- Poor Weight Gain
- Gaining Weight to Quickly
- Growth Concerns and Growth Hormone Deficiency
- Precocious Puberty (Early Puberty)
- Hypothyroidism
- Hyperthyroidism
- Gynecomastia
- Genetic Conditions
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Conditions seen in Beacon For Kids Endocrinology Service
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Genetic Conditions that affect growth, puberty and hormones
- Some children may have signs or symptoms of a genetic condition that may affect your child’s growth or development.
- Your child’s consultant will obtain a detailed medical history during the consultation and if they feel there may be signs or symptoms suggestive of a genetic condition such as Klinefelter’s or Noonan’s syndrome, they will discuss this with you.
- Your child’s consultant may wish to order some Genetic Blood tests to out rule a genetic condition, and this will be explained to you in the clinic, answering any questions you may have.
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Gaining Weight Too Quickly
- Some children may be gaining weight to quickly and may require an assessment by the endocrinology Service.
- The paediatric nurse will take your child’s height and weight and plot your child’s centiles onto a growth chart, this will be passed on your child’s consultant for review.
- Your child’s consultant will obtain a detailed history and decide if any further investigations are required, this may include some blood tests. The consultant will explain the rationale for any further investigations to yourself in clinic and answer any questions you may have.
- The consultant may chat through some lifestyle changes that may be helpful to implement.
- Your consultant will inform you when they would like to see you back for review in the clinic.
- Sometimes your child’s consultant may discuss pros and cons of starting a medication to help aid in some weight loss if they feel your child would be a suitable candidate.
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Growth Concerns and Growth Hormone Deficiency
- Some children require a referral to the endocrinology service if there have been concerns around your child’s growth.
- The paediatric nurse will obtain your child’s height and weight in the clinic and plot this on the growth chart, the nurse may ask for biological mother and fathers height, and this can be helpful to measure the mid parental centile. This will help the consultant see if your child is inside or outside of their target.
- Your child’s consultant will take a detailed history from yourself.
- Your child’s consultant may ask to examine your child to help stage their puberty, this will be explained to both you and your child and the consultant will ask for your consent first. You or your child may ask to have the paediatric nurse present for this if you wish.
- Your consultant may opt to watch and wait and see you back in clinic after a certain number of months to access your child’s speed of growth.
- Your consultant may decide some further investigations are required, this may include a bone age which is an x-ray of the hand, this helps to give your child’s consultant an idea of whether your child’s bone age is advanced or delayed, this will help aid in if further investigations are required. Bone-age scans can be arranged on the same day as your visit if your child’s Consultant wishes to proceed with this.
- Your child’s consultant may wish to order some blood tests, your consultant will explain the rational of these tests to you and your child.
- If your child is diagnosed with Growth Hormone Deficiency, your consultant will discuss treatment options with yourself and your child.
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Gynaecomastia
- Gynecomastia is a condition seen in male patients, usually at the time of puberty. It is benign condition, where the breast tissue enlarges and is usually caused by a hormonal imbalance.
- There may be some pain or swelling around the nipple area or it may be painless.
- Your consultant will examine your child and discuss the condition with you and your child if a diagnosis is made.
- This condition usually settles down by itself but in some cases it does not, if this causes your child distress, your consultant may refer your child onto a surgeon for a consultation.
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Heavy Periods or Menstrual Bleeding
- It can be very common to have heavy periods as a teenager.
- Periods are when your womb (uterus) sheds it’s lining and this leads to blood coming out of the vagina.
- Often, in adolescence, anovulation is common (this is where the ovaries do not release an egg every month and this can lead to the lining of the uterus becoming thicker hence leading to heavier periods).
- If your periods are very heavy (or are heavy right from your first one), and you also experience easy bruising or excess bleeding from wounds, you may have a bleeding disorder and your doctor may recommend some bloods.
- It is helpful to keep a diary of your periods and bring it to your appointment to show the doctor.
- Possible treatment options available are medications to ease bleeding and or hormonal treatment options.
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Hyperthyroidism
- Hyperthyroidism can also be known as an overactive thyroid, this occurs when the thyroid gland produces too much thyroid hormones.
- This may present with weight loss, heart palpitations, fatigue, anxiety, irritability, insomnia or hair loss. You or child’s GP may also notice a swelling in your child’s neck which is known as a goitre.
- If your child’s GP has taken some blood tests prior to your child’s clinic appointment, please ensure they send a copy into us.
- Your child’s consultant may wish for further blood testing to be completed and they will discuss this with you on the day.
- If your child is diagnosed with Hypothyroidism, your child’s consultant will discuss treatment options with you.
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Hypothyroidism
- Hypothyroidism can also be known as an underactive thyroid, it occurs when they thyroid glad does not produce the correct amount of hormones.
- This may present with the following symptoms; tiredness, weight gain, feeling cold, constipations and on occasion irregular menstruation.
- If your child’s GP has taken some blood tests prior to your child’s clinic appointment, please ensure they send a copy into us.
- Your child’s consultant may wish for further blood testing to be completed and they will discuss this with you on the day.
- If your child is diagnosed with Hypothyroidism, your child’s consultant will discuss treatment options with you.
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Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
- Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a common hormonal condition affecting people during their reproductive years.
- Symptoms may include irregular periods, heavy periods or no periods, excess body hair, acne, thinning hair.
- Approximately 1 in 10 young females have PCOS.
- The most common way to diagnose PCOS is by listening to your symptoms and taking some blood tests. These may show higher levels of some hormones such as testosterone.
- An ultrasound scan is not used to diagnose PCOS in adolescence as it is normal to have multiple follicles (PCOM) within 8 years of your first period. An ultrasound can however be used to rule out other conditions that can have similar symptoms to PCOS.
- It can be difficult to diagnose PCOS in teenage years as many of the symptoms of PCOS are also common in adolescents such as acne and irregular periods.
- Treatments used in PCOS depend on the most bothersome symptoms and the patient’s wishes/needs. They can include hormonal treatment options and/or metformin.
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Poor Weight Gain
- It may be flagged by yourself or your child’s healthcare professional that there is a concern regarding your child’s weight.
- Some children are poor to gain weight and, in the endocrinology service, this will be assessed by your consultant and paediatric nurse.
- The paediatric nurse will check your child’s height if over 2 years old or length if under 2 years old and obtain a weight. The paediatric nurse will plot your child’s measurements on a growth chart and show this to your child’s consultant for review.
- Some conditions can cause poor weight gain in children, for example coeliac disease, your consultant will take a detailed history from your regarding your child and they may decide some blood tests are required. Your child’s consultant will explain the rationale for these bloods to you and your child.
- Your consultant will advise you when they would like to see you and your child back for review in the clinic.
- Sometimes your consultant may refer your child to a dietician for some support if they feel this would be beneficial.
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Precocious Puberty (Early Puberty)
- Some children show signs of early Puberty, this can present with symptoms such as body Oder, body hair growth, being taller than peers or breast development.
- Your child may be referred to the endocrinology service if you or your child’s healthcare professional have concerns relating to this.
- The paediatric nurse will take your child’s height and weight and plot these onto the growth chart, the nurse may ask for biological mother and fathers height, and this can be helpful to measure the mid parental centile. This will help the consultant see if your child is inside or outside of their target.
- Your child’s consultant will take a detailed history from yourself.
- Your child’s consultant may ask to examine your child to help stage their puberty, this will be explained to both you and your child and the consultant will ask for your consent first. You or your child may ask to have the paediatric nurse present for this if you wish.
- Your consultant may opt to watch and wait and see you back in clinic after a certain number of months to access your child’s speed of growth.
- Your consultant may decide some further investigations are required, this may include a bone age which is an x-ray of the hand, this helps to give your child’s consultant an idea of whether your child’s bone age is advanced or delayed, this will help aid in if further investigations are required. Bone-age scans can be arranged on the same day as your visit if your child’s Consultant wishes to proceed with this.
- Your child’s consultant may require your child to attend for some blood testing; your child’s consultant will give you the rational for this.
- If your child is diagnosed with Precocious Puberty your child’s consultant will discuss the treatment options with both you and your child.
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Absent periods (Primary and Secondary Amenorrhea)
- Most people will experience their first period by age 15. If you have not had your first period by 15, we call this primary amenorrhoea. If you have not had your first period by 15 (or if by age 13 you have no other signs of puberty such as breast development and pubic hair and no periods) you should see your doctor.
- Sometimes people have periods which then stop (secondary amenorrhoea). If you had periods and they stopped for 6 months you should see your doctor.
- There are many potential causes for absence of periods, some blood tests and sometimes an ultrasound scan (jelly on your tummy) can help to piece this together.
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