Parent PhD

I am worried about my sweet munchkin. I think he may be hypothyroid. Thyroid challenges are common in children with Trisomy 21. Knowing that and a whole host of other problems that may or may not occur keep my wheels constantly spinning. In the past month I have dived really deep into researching Down syndrome and the discoveries shake me. Here is a brief laundry list of the things that children with Down syndrome have a higher incidence of experiencing;

-leukemia
-hypothyroid
-celiac disease
-macular degenration
-respiratory infections
-compromised immunity, higher incidence of cold and flu
-ear infections, very tiny ear canal leads to fluid build up
-sleep apnia
-alzheimers

Why do I think Aero may be hypothyroid? Lately, his activity level has dropped drastically. I sit him on the floor to play and all he does is sit and ....nothing. I can engage him to empty a tupperware bin of toys that I have packed full. He dumps it and that's it. No squeals of delight, no excitement. If I leave him alone for a bit, to discover, roll, or whatever he begins a low, throaty whine. He stops whining only when I pick him up.

We have his 9 month check up soon. I have a whole list of questions for the pediatrician. Thing is, I don't think they will be satisfactorily answered. Why? The other thing that I have discovered in my research is that the medical field is very uninformed regarding Trisomy. They have a tendency to fall back on generalizations. It is such a sweeping spectrum of a syndrome that if you don't have a few children in your practice with Down syndrome, why would you take the time to stay current? That is the parent's responsibility. You must become a parent PhD in all things Trisomy...more on that, later.