Expectant and Pregnant Mothers: Get Your Neck Checked

Market Wire, January, 2008

Pregnancy can be an exciting, joyous and rewarding time for a woman. It is also the time a thyroid condition may surface or become more difficult to control in an expecting or pregnant mother.

January is Thyroid Awareness Month, and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) are encouraging women who are considering pregnancy or are already pregnant to have their thyroid checked. Doing so can help ensure the safe delivery of a healthy child.

"Although many thyroid disorders that affect pregnancy can be treated easily, early detection is critical," AACE President Richard Hellman MD, FACP, FACE said. "Even before conception, an untreated thyroid may encumber a woman's ability become pregnant or even lead to a miscarriage."

The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland that makes thyroid hormone which affects the function of many of the body's organs including the heart, brain, liver, kidneys and skin. A malfunctioning thyroid that has gone unnoticed and untreated in a woman's body can be dangerous for her and the child.

"It's certainly something to consult with an endocrinologist about," Hellman said. "As experts on the thyroid, we are able to treat women with a thyroid condition and help them to deliver a happy and healthy child."

AACE, in observance of January's Thyroid Awareness Month: "Treating Your Thyroid: It Deserves the Best Care," has developed an important list of "Things Every Mother Should Know" that is critical for the health of a newborn child. More information is available at www.thyroidawareness.com .

Importance of adequate iodine intake in pregnancy

--  Thyroid hormone is necessary for normal brain development. In early
    pregnancy, babies get thyroid hormone from their mothers. Later on as the
    baby's thyroid develops it makes its own thyroid hormone. An adequate
    amount of iodine is needed to produce fetal and maternal thyroid hormone.
    The best way to ensure adequate amounts of iodine reach the unborn child is
    for the mother to take a prenatal vitamin with a sufficient amount of
    iodine. Not all prenatal vitamins contain iodine, so be sure to check
    labels properly.
    

Hyperthyroidism & pregnancy

--  Hyperthyroidism, if untreated, can lead to stillbirth, premature
    birth, or low birth weight for the baby. Sometimes it leads to fetal
    tachycardia, which is an abnormally fast pulse in the fetus. Women with
    Graves' disease have antibodies that stimulate their thyroid gland. These
    antibodies can cross the placenta and stimulate a baby's thyroid gland. If
    antibody levels are high enough, the baby could develop fetal
    hyperthyroidism, or neonatal hyperthyroidism.

    A woman with hyperthyroidism while pregnant puts her at an increased risk
    for experiencing any of the signs and symptoms of hyperthyroidism. And
    unless the condition is mild, if it is not treated promptly a woman could
    miscarry during the first trimester; develop congestive heart failure,
    preeclampsia, or anemia; and, rarely, develop a severe form of
    hyperthyroidism called thyroid storm, which can be life threatening.
    

Hypothyroidism & pregnancy

--  Thyroid hormone is critical for the brain development of a fetus,
    because it depends solely on its mother for its thyroid hormone for most of
    the first trimester of pregnancy. When deprived of thyroid hormone, a baby
    is at an increased risk for neural development, which may lead to mental
    retardation.

    Most women who develop hypothyroidism during pregnancy have mild disease
    and may experience only mild symptoms or sometimes no symptoms. However,
    having a mild, undiagnosed condition before becoming pregnant may worsen a
    woman's condition. A range of signs and symptoms may be experienced, but it
    is important to be aware that these can be easily written off as normal
    features of pregnancy. Untreated hypothyroidism, even a mild version, may
    contribute to pregnancy complications. Treatment with sufficient amounts of
    thyroid hormone replacement significantly reduces the risk for developing
    pregnancy complications associated with hypothyroidism.
    

Miscarriage and thyroid disorders

--  A woman with untreated hypothyroidism is at the greatest risk for a
    miscarriage during her first trimester. Unless the case is mild, women with
    untreated hyperthyroidism may miscarry during the first trimester.
    

Care of a child with congenital hypothyroidism

--  All newborns in the United States are routinely tested for congenital
    hypothyroidism. Children with this condition are deficient in thyroid
    hormone, which is critical for the development of the nervous system.
    Untreated, congenital hypothyroidism can lead to mental retardation and
    stunted growth. Thanks to testing, every child born with congenital
    hypothyroidism is promptly treated with thyroid hormone, allowing them to
    develop normally and go on to live a normal, healthy life.
    

For those taking thyroid hormone, what to do before becoming pregnant