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Thyroid hormone concentrations in blood are increased in pregnancy, partly due to the high levels of estrogen and due to the weak thyroid stimulating effects of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) that acts like TSH. Thyroxine (T4) levels rise from about 6–12 weeks, and peak by mid-gestation; reverse changes are seen with TSH.
Women with symptoms or a very high TSH level, or both, are usually prescribed a course of levothyroxine. [3] Asymptomatic women with slightly elevated TSH levels who are planning subsequent pregnancies, should consider a course of treatment until completion of the family to avoid possible developmental complications in future children. [3]
Thyroid hormones, T4 and TSH, diffuse across the placenta traveling from the mother to fetus for 10–12 weeks before the fetus’s own thyroid gland can begin synthesizing its own thyroid hormones. [2] The mother continues to supply some T4 to the fetus even after he/she is able to synthesize his/her own.
In pregnancy, subclinical hypothyroidism is defined as a TSH between 2.5 and 10 mIU/L with a normal thyroxine level, while those with TSH above 10 mIU/L are considered to be overtly hypothyroid even if the thyroxine level is normal. [44]
While those with elevated TSH and normal levels of free T4 are considered to have subclinical hypothyroidism. [39] Risk factors for developing hypothyroidism during pregnancy include iodine deficiency, history of thyroid disease, visible goiter, hypothyroidism symptoms, family history of thyroid disease, history of type 1 diabetes or autoimmune ...
Hypothyroidism is diagnosed by looking at the free thyroxine (T4) levels in people with elevated TSH levels, and comparing the ratio between them. People with high TSH and low T4 get a diagnosis ...
TSH is secreted throughout life but particularly reaches high levels during the periods of rapid growth and development, as well as in response to stress. The hypothalamus, in the base of the brain, produces thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH). TRH stimulates the anterior pituitary gland to produce TSH.
Affected patients may have normal, low, or slightly elevated TSH depending on the spectrum and phase of illness. Total T4 and T3 levels may be altered by binding protein abnormalities, and medications. Reverse T3 levels are generally increased, while FT3 is decreased. FT4 levels may have a transient increase, before becoming subnormal during ...