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The gland increases in size by 10%, thyroxine production increases by 50%, and iodine requirements increase. Many women have normal thyroid function but have immunological evidence of thyroid autoimmunity (as evidenced by autoantibodies) or are iodine deficient, and develop evidence of hypothyroidism before or after giving birth. [44]
Over time, thyroid damage can cause thyroid hormone levels to be too low. This is called an underactive thyroid or hypothyroidism (heye-poh-THEYE-royd-ism). An underactive thyroid causes every function of the body to slow down, such as heart rate, brain function, and the rate your body turns food into energy.
Thyroid disease is a medical condition that affects the function of the thyroid gland. The thyroid gland is located at the front of the neck and produces thyroid hormones [1] that travel through the blood to help regulate many other organs, meaning that it is an endocrine organ. These hormones normally act in the body to regulate energy use ...
Low levels of thyroid hormones can lead to symptoms including fatigue, weight gain, cold intolerance, dry, flakey skin, loss of hair and inability to concentrate.
Women who have low thyroid function that has not been stabilized are at greater risk of complications for both parent and child. Risks to the mother include gestational hypertension including preeclampsia and eclampsia, gestational diabetes, placental abruption, and postpartum hemorrhage. [15]
Still, your ob-gyn may choose to do a hormone test to see if your follicle-stimulating hormone levels are elevated or to check thyroid function. When it comes to a diagnosis, it all comes back to ...
Thyroid function should be normalised prior to conception in women with pre-existing thyroid disease. Once pregnancy is confirmed the thyroxine dose should be increased by about 30-50% and subsequent titrations should be guided by thyroid function tests (FT4 and TSH) that should be monitored 4-6 weekly until euthyroidism is achieved.
Of those women who experience hypothyroidism associated with postpartum thyroiditis, one in five will develop permanent hypothyroidism requiring lifelong treatment. Postpartum thyroiditis is believed to result from the modifications to the immune system necessary in pregnancy, and histologically is a subacute lymphocytic thyroiditis .
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