Hypothyroidism during pregnancy, when not identified and treated, can cause complications for the baby, because the baby needs the thyroid hormones produced by the mother so that it can develop correctly. Thus, when there is little or no quantity of thyroid hormones, such as T3 and T4, there may be miscarriage, delayed mental development and a decrease in the intelligence quotient, IQ.
Furthermore, hypothyroidism can reduce the chances of getting pregnant because it alters the woman’s reproductive hormones, meaning that ovulation and the fertile period do not always occur during the menstrual cycle.
Therefore, it is important that pregnant women are monitored by an obstetrician and TSH, T3 and T4 levels are taken to identify hypothyroidism and treatment is initiated if necessary.
Possible risks
Hypothyroidism during pregnancy can cause complications for both the mother and the baby, especially when the diagnosis is not made and when treatment is not started or carried out correctly.
Risks for the baby
The baby’s development is completely dependent, especially in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, on the thyroid hormones produced by the mother. Thus, the main risks to the baby of hypothyroidism during pregnancy are:
- Cardiac changes;
- Delay in mental development;
- Decrease in intelligence quotient, IQ;
- Low weight at birth;
- Change in speech.
Furthermore, uncontrolled hypothyroidism in pregnancy can increase the risk of fetal distress, which is a rare situation characterized by decreased oxygen supply to the baby, interfering with the baby’s growth and development. Learn more about fetal distress.
Risks for women
Women with unrecognized or untreated hypothyroidism are at greater risk of developing anemia, placenta previa, bleeding after childbirth, premature birth and pre-eclampsia, which is a condition that tends to begin after 20 weeks of gestation and It causes high blood pressure in the mother, which can affect the proper functioning of the organs and cause miscarriage or premature birth. See more about pre-eclampsia and how to treat it.
Can hypothyroidism make pregnancy difficult?
Hypothyroidism can make pregnancy difficult because it can alter the menstrual cycle and influence ovulation, and in some cases the egg may not be released. This happens because thyroid hormones influence the production of female sex hormones, which are responsible for the menstrual cycle and a woman’s fertility.
Therefore, to get pregnant even if you have hypothyroidism, you must keep the disease well controlled, taking blood tests to assess hormone levels and correctly following the treatment recommended by your doctor.
By controlling the disease, the hormones in the reproductive system are also more controlled and, after about 3 months, it is possible to get pregnant normally. However, it is necessary to continue having blood tests regularly to assess the need to adjust medications and their doses.
Furthermore, for pregnancy to be possible, it is important that the woman checks whether her menstrual cycle has become more or less regular and, with the help of the gynecologist, identifies the fertile period, which corresponds to the period in which there is a greater probability of pregnancy. pregnancy.
How to identify
In most cases, pregnant women already have hypothyroidism before pregnancy, but prenatal exams help detect the disease in women who did not have symptoms of the problem.
To diagnose the disease, blood tests must be carried out to assess the amount of thyroid hormones in the body, with TSH, T3, T4 and thyroid antibodies and, in positive cases, the analysis must be repeated every 4 or 8 weeks. throughout pregnancy to maintain control of the disease.
How should the treatment be
If a woman already has hypothyroidism and plans to become pregnant, she must keep the disease well controlled and have blood tests every 6 to 8 weeks since the first trimester of pregnancy. woman follow the recommendations of her obstetrician or endocrinologist.
When the disease is discovered during pregnancy, the use of medications to replace thyroid hormones should begin as soon as the problem is identified, and tests should also be repeated every 6 or 8 weeks to readjust the dose.
Postpartum hypothyroidism
In addition to the gestation period, hypothyroidism can also appear in the first year after birth, especially after 3 or 4 months of the baby’s birth. This occurs due to changes in the woman’s immune system, which begins to destroy thyroid cells. In most cases, the problem is temporary and resolves within 1 year postpartum, but some women develop permanent hypothyroidism, and all women have a greater chance of having the problem again in a future pregnancy.
Therefore, you should pay attention to the symptoms of the disease and take blood tests to assess thyroid function during the first year after birth. So, see what the symptoms of hypothyroidism are.
