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Avoiding The Consequences Of Hypothyroidism During Pregnancy

You have read from the previous article about the consequences of untreated hypothyroidism during pregnancy. It’s sad that if those consequences are not avoided it will result to undesirable complications. After reading this article you will be enlightened on how to avoid these complications for the mother and baby’s well being.

Medical associations and organizations have provided recommendations avoiding consequences of hypothyroidism during pregnancy. The guidelines provide preventive measures like screening tests. Screening tests are done on women who are at risk.

Some guidelines provide early treatments usually on the onset or before even planning a pregnancy if screen tests show positive hypothyroidism. The last guideline involves monitoring thyroid hormone levels during and after pregnancy. Learn about how you may go through these series of steps.

How to avoid consequences of hypothyroidism during pregnancy

Elaborating more on the screen tests as well as the proper monitoring of thyroid hormone levels before, during and after pregnancy will help you avoid consequences. Look into the details of these recommendations:

A.    Screen Tests

·         Screening for thyroid disorders is a must for all women who are planning pregnancy. The earlier you find out that you have hypothyroidism the more beneficial for you and your baby. Treatments are readily available and safe in case you are diagnosed with hypothyroidism.

·         Women who have family history of any thyroid disease must be tested for hypothyroidism. Goiter or enlarged thyroid, high levels of thyroid antibodies and symptoms of hypothyroidism are also advised to take the test. If you belong to any of this group you might as well go to the nearest health care institution or ask your physician to do the screen test for you.

B.    Early Treatment

·         Low-dose hormone therapy. Therapy with low dose hormone is given to women who belong to the borderline or subclinical hyperthyroidism and those who have positive antibodies on the onset of pregnancy. To avoid complications of hypothyroidism such as preeclampsia, cognitive disabilities and still birth, treatment must be started early. As discussed in the previous pages, treatment is safe for the mother and the fetus since the thyroid hormone does not cross the placenta.

·         Selenium supplements. Selenium supplementation is beneficial to women who have high antibody levels at the time of conception. However, this should be reviewed by your physician.

C.    Monitoring Thyroid Hormone Replacement Therapy

·         Appropriate dosage for women receiving thyroid hormone therapy is a must. Tests should be done routinely to make sure they are on their appropriate levels. Different individuals need different dosages depending on how high or low the level of the thyroid hormone given.

·         The blood thyroid stimulating hormone value is important. The dosage of thyroid stimulating hormone therapy during and after pregnancy should be closely monitored. Clinicians prefer TSH level in the <1.0 range.

·         Women who are diagnosed with hypothyroidism before conception must go back to their pre-pregnancy dose of thyroid hormone few weeks or months after delivery. As said earlier, thyroid hormone is increased during pregnancy to compensate for the mother and baby’s need for the hormone.

By reading these guidelines you are now ready to fight the battle against the harsh consequences of untreated hypothyroidism. Make sure you seek proper guidance from your doctor. You need to do things as early as possible if you don’t want to regret the effects of untreated hypothyroidism during pregnancy.