PIGEON CHEST IS NOT A FUNCTIONAL PROBLEM

Q My nine- month- old son developed a pigeon chest around 15 days back. The doctors say that it is due to Vitamin D deficiency and will be fine as the child grows. How do we treat this? — Ravi Kiran

Pigeon chest or “Pectus carinatum” is the shape of the chest wall since birth. Any acquired cause such as vitamin D deficiency needs to be ruled out but usually it is only a cosmetic problem and not a functional one. This condition usually does not require any active management.

Dr Praveen Mereddy senior consultant orthopaedic surgeon

Q I am a 22- year- old woman weighing 56 kg and diagnosed with hypothyroidism with TSH level 7.6. I have severe hair loss and have gained 8 kg of weight along with irregular menstruation. I have been prescribed Levothyroxine tablets. Is hypothyroidism curable? Can I plan to have a baby? — Meena

It seems you have subclinical hypothyroidism ( assuming that your T4 level is normal). I recommend you get anti- TPO

done. If this test is strongly positive, then you will need medications for a long time. You may go ahead with pregnancy when your TSH is normal, which usually takes six weeks after starting treatment. Please ensure that your TSH is normal before planning a baby. During pregnancy, you will need higher doses of Levothyroxine, but most of your symptoms will reverse with treatment.

Dr Vrinda Agarwal consultant endocrinologist