Birth Defects

Hypothyroidism and Pregnancy

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Author: Ryan

The thyroid gland is located at middle part of the front of the neck. Hypothyroidism is underactive thyroid gland which means that the thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormones. These hormones play an important role in body metabolism.

There are a number of ways that hypothyroidism can manifest during pregnancy. This includes; having Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, thyroid nodules or goiter, elevated TSH (Thyroid stimulating hormone) etc. If you have had radioactive iodine (RAI) or any kind of surgery of the thyroid or are now receiving any kind of thyroid hormone replacement then you probably have hypothyroidism.

If you suffer from hypothyroidism then you are lucky to become pregnant in the first place as is prevents egg production. Once pregnant, hypothyroidism can affect your pregnancy in many ways. You have a higher risk of miscarriage. You are also more likely to develop high blood pressure and premature delivery if the hypothyroidism if left untreated through the pregnancy.

There are certain “red flag” symptoms that you should be on the lookout for such as: dullness, droopy eyelids, abnormal weight gain, constipation, muscle cramps, thickening of skin, swelling around neck etc. These changes are usually spotted during pregnancy during the normal course of prenatal care.

Babies born to mothers who had untreated or partially treated hypothyroidism prenatally, may never reach their full intellectual potential. The study was published in 1999, New England Journal of Medicine stating, “Women with untreated thyroid deficiency during pregnancy are four times more likely to have children with lower I.Q. scores”.

If you are pregnant and diagnosed with hypothyroidism, it does not need to take the joy out of your pregnancy. Once hypothyroidism is diagnosed, the thyroid hormone replacement therapy is started by doctor. The dosage is an important factor during pregnancy and is decided by your specialist. The treatment is safe and also essential to mother and fetus. One should not stop the medications by any means as this may have irreversible consequences.

For the baby, it is quite rare that your baby will “inherit” your hypothyroidism. Congenital hypothyroidism appears in one of 4 to 5 thousand infants. But be sure to have your thyroid treatment started as early as possible (like in first trimester) because untreated thyroid will not only affect the mother but will also impair the child’s physical and mental development.

After pregnancy, your doctor will probably advise you to continue the pills. As far as breastfeeding is concerned, trace amount of thyroid hormone medication are excreted in breast milk but if your thyroid is not functioning properly then you might not be able to breastfeed at all.In fact, you must be having proper thyroid functioning and normal level of thyroid hormone to ensure enough breast milk to baby.

If you are pregnant and diagnosed with hypothyroidism them make sure to receive a nutritionally balanced diet with adequate iodine salt, iron, vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates and fats.

Ryan is a publisher of Hypothyroidism causes, symptoms and treatment information

The Thyroid Diet

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