As if pregnant women weren’t subject to enough tests during pregnancy, one more may soon be added to the line up. The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists is recommending that all pregnant women be checked for low thyroid levels as part of comprehensive prenatal care.
The reason for the recommendation is studies which suggest potential danger to pregnant women and their infants from undiagnosed low thyroid problems. The condition, called hypothyroidism, is not uncommon. Approximately five percent of women who are tested during pregnancy are found to have hypothyroidism.
There is evidence to suggest this figure may actually be higher in reality. Women are often not tested during pregnancy. They either have mild symptoms or attribute the symptoms they are having to the pregnancy, which prevents many from even mentioning it to their health care providers.
It is easy to see how this can happen. Many of the symptoms of this disorder are also symptoms of pregnancy, including fatigue, weight gain, insomnia and constipation. Other symptoms include dry skin, hair loss, muscle cramping and an inability to handle being in the cold.
Many doctors feel more cases would be diagnosed and treated if testing were routine. When diagnosed, hypothyroidism is not difficult to treat. Patients are given daily doses of an artificial thyroxin hormone. The results are best when treatment is started in the first trimester of pregnancy.
Left untreated, hypothyroidism poses risks to the unborn baby. The most common complications are miscarriage, preterm birth and pregnancy induced hypertension or pre-eclampsia. If the condition is not treated at all during pregnancy, there can be developmental delays in the child. These kids are four times as likely to have a low IQ and other developmental delays.
Another symptom of hypothyroidism is infertility. This is another reason the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists is also recommending checking for low thyroid in women wanting to get pregnant. The women could be treated sooner, reducing risk to the baby and possibly correcting one contributing factor to female infertility.
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