29 years
I have thyroid of the gland,& I feel like my throat is blocked,can this effect my baby after I become pregnant
Aug 2, 2014
A- Overall, the most common cause of maternal hyperthyroidism during pregnancy is Graves’ disease. In addition to other usual causes of hyperthyroidism, very high levels of hCG, seen in severe forms of morning sickness (hyperemesis gravidarum), may result in transient hyperthyroidism. Graves’ disease may present initially during the 1st trimester or may get worse during this time in a woman who already has the disorder. In addition to the classic symptoms of hyperthyroidism (heat intolerance, unintentional weight loss, nervousness, tremors etc), inadequately treated maternal hyperthyroidism can result in early labor and a serious complication known as pre-eclampsia (body swelling, very high blood pressure and proteins in urine). Additionally, there's higher risk of developing very severe hyperthyroidism known as thyroid storm (elevated body temperature, fast heart rate, chest pain, shortness of breath, anxiety and irritability, disorientation, increased sweating, weakness). Graves’ disease often improves during the 3rd trimester and may worsen after delivery.
The risks to the baby from Graves’ disease are due to one of three possible mechanisms:
1) Uncontrolled maternal hyperthyroidism: fetal tachycardia (fast heart rate), small for gestational age babies, prematurity, stillbirths and possibly congenital malformations.
2) Extremely high levels of thyroid stimulating immunogloblulins (TSI): these stimulate thyroid gland and can cross the placenta and can interact with the baby’s thyroid. Only if the level is very high, they may cause fetal or neonatal hyperthyroidism.
3) anti-thyroid drug therapy (aTD). Methimazole (Tapazole) or propylthiouracil (PTU). Both of these drugs cross the placenta and can potentially impair the baby’s thyroid function and cause fetal goiter. But when the benefits of therapy outweigh the risks, PTU is the drug of choice.
B- Overall, the most common cause of hypothyroidism is the autoimmune disorder known as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Hypothyroidism can occur during pregnancy due to the initial presentation of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, inadequate treatment of a woman already known to have hypothyroidism, or over-treatment of a hyperthyroid woman with antithyroid medications. If untreated, or inadequately treated, hypothyroidism can lead to maternal anemia (low red blood cell count), myopathy (muscle pain, weakness), congestive heart failure, pre-eclampsia, placental abnormalities, low birth weight infants, and postpartum hemorrhage (bleeding). These complications are more likely to occur in women with severe hypothyroidism.
The effects of maternal hypothyroidism on the baby’s brain development is not certain. The treatment of hypothyroidism in a pregnant woman is adequate replacement of thyroid hormone (levothyroxine). Thyroid function tests should be checked every 6-8 weeks to make sure of normal thyroid function (no over or under treatment).
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