|
Hypothyroidism During Pregnancy
One of the most common thyroid problems that occurs during pregnancy is that of hypothyroidism. Outside of
pregnancy, hypothyroidism can cause a variety of changes in the menstrual cycle such as irregularity, heavy
periods, or loss of periods. If it is severe, it creates the potential for infertility or problems becoming
pregnant. In fact, checking thyroid gland function by performing a simple blood test is an integral aspect when
evaluating a woman who is having difficulty becoming pregnant. However, treating a woman suffering from infertility
with thyroid hormones when blood tests are normal is of no benefit whatsoever, and may, in fact, cause other
problems.
One of the problems with hypothyroidism during pregnancy is that some of the symptoms such as weight gain and
tiredness already exist with a high rate of frequency during pregnancy. Because of that, hypothyroidism is often
overlooked as a possible cause of those particular symptoms during pregnancy. A blood test that measures the TSH
level can determine if the cause of the symptoms is related to hypothyroidism or are pregnancy-related
symptoms.
Because thyroid medications are identical to the thyroid hormone that the body’s thyroid gland makes naturally,
they are quite safe for a pregnant woman with hypothyroidism to take during pregnancy. The replacement hormones
that are required to treat the disease do not have any side effects for the mother or the baby as long as the
proper doses are used. Even if hypothyroidism is not detected in the mother during pregnancy, it will not cause
abnormal development of the thyroid in the developing baby.
One important thing for a pregnant woman with hypothyroidism to remember is that if you were previously treated for
the condition, you will possibly need a higher dosage during pregnancy. It will be necessary for her to communicate
with her doctor periodically throughout the pregnancy to determine if the medication dosage needs adjusted. In
addition, tests to review thyroid function should be administered every two to three months of the pregnancy.
After the birth of the baby, the thyroid hormone dosage should return to the dosage that the woman was taking prior
to pregnancy and a review of thyroid function tests performed every two months. Of course, this is part of the
course of routine treatment for any case of hypothyroidism, not just post-partum.
| 
Delicious
Google Bookmarks
Stumbleupon
Digg
BlinkList
Blogmarks
Facebook
Ma.gnolia
Reddit
Twitter
Yahoo My Web
Livejournal
