Hypothyroidism And Pregnancy
Contents:
- Planning a Baby When You Have Hypothyroidism
- What If Hypothyroidism Occurs During the Course of Pregnancy?
- The Consequences of Hypothyroidism in Case of Pregnant Women
- Is Hypothyroidism a Hereditary Illness?
Hypothyroidism in Pregnancy
Hypothyroidism is a case of illness when the production of the thyroid gland hormones is decreased. It is really important to detect the illness on time and start treating it using a complex approach. If you lack thyroid hormones for a long time, irreversible changes may occur in all organs and systems of your organism. Good news is that if you treat the illness in a right way, the condition of your organism will come back to normal very fast.
Planning a Baby When You Have Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism and pregnancy is rather a dangerous mixture. Before you start planning a baby, you need to undergo an examination and check whether your thyroid gland is fine. This is a must-do thing. Even if there were no problems with your endocrine system before, you need to do tests on all major hormones and, if it’s necessary, undergo a thyroid gland ultrasonic examination.
What if Hypothyroidism Occurs During the Course of Pregnancy?
If the results of your blood test show that the level of TTG is highly increased and there is an amount of free T4, you need to urgently start taking thyroxin. The dosage may be defined the following way: 2,3 microgram for 1 kg of your weight. Of course, you shouldn’t put off a visit to your doctor. Only a qualified professional will be able to choose the right way of treatment and evaluate the condition of your organism.
Pregnant women have a case of subclinic hypothyroidism rather often. The hormonal changes in the organism of a pregnant woman can’t help influencing the endocrine system. However, a replacement therapy can solve the problem. It will make a mother feel better and decrease the risks for her future baby.
The Consequences of Hypothyroidism in Case of Pregnant Women
Most often, a woman is simply unable to get pregnant if she has hypothyroidism. This reason for it is because the functioning of the thyroid gland is decreased and, therefore, the ovulation doesn’t start. This case is usually called a primary anovulatory infertility. If you somehow manage to get pregnant, and do not take particular drugs, the normal way of the fetus’ development is at risk.
The studies show that up to the 16th week of pregnancy the endocrine system of the fetus is not yet completely developed and, therefore, it can’t function on its own. That’s why a baby is being developed under the influence of a mother’s hormones. If a mother does not replenish the lack of the thyroid gland hormones, irreversible changes in the development of the fetus and a decrease in its intellectual capability may occur.
Lots of studies devoted to this problem show that the babies, whose mothers during the course of pregnancy suffered from hypothyroidism and didn’t get the necessary treatment, are born with low intellectual indexes. Besides, they have low results according to the Apgar scale and chances to survive.
However, the babies whose mothers had a replacement therapy during the course of pregnancy usually do not have such like problems. This is the main reason why doctors insist on undergoing an examination and consult an endocrinologist before start planning pregnancy.
Is Hypothyroidism a Hereditary Illness?
Even though hypothyroidism, according to the results of studies, is not a hereditary illness, the people whose relatives had or have problems with endocrine system are more inclined to have this illness. If you had a case of hypothyroidism but you took all the necessary drugs during the course of pregnancy and regularly underwent examinations and consulted doctor, it’s useless to additional exam the baby once he or she is born. It is very rare for the illness to start progressing while the early ages of the baby’s life. If there are any dangerous changes in his or her organism, they will be detected in the result of a first blood test that is taken in maternity hospital.