When you are pregnant, your thyroid hormone requirement will usually increase during the period. Some studies have shown that hypothyroidism, or low thyroid level, in the first trimester of pregnancy which is not diagnosed or treated will increase the chances of the fetus suffering underdevelopment of intellectual capacity, abnormal neuropsychological development, and impaired psychomotor functioning. Your baby may be saddled with an IQ up to 10 points lower, in the presence of autoimmune thyroiditis during pregnancy.
You would not want to impair your baby’s brain growth, so it is crucial to undergo a routine check on thyroid level not only on the first trimester, but throughout the three trimesters of your pregnancy. You should ask your healthcare provider about blood tests to obtain thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and free T4 levels. TSH test is usually considered as the reliable blood test to determine how your thyroid level compares to normal range.
In case you have an untreated low thyroid level before your pregnancy, you also face a higher risk of undesirable complications, such as early failure of pregnancy, placental abruption, and low birth weight of the baby or even stillbirth. Hypothyroidism has been found to complicate 1 to 3 in about 1000 pregnancies. You can have an improved outcome of your pregnancy once your hypothyroidism is properly treated.
Causes
The leading cause of low thyroid level or hypothyroidism in pregnancy is Hashimoto thyroiditis (chronic autoimmune thyroiditis). This is an inflammation of the thyroid gland, usually painless, where the gland progressively enlarges. It is usually associated with diffuse lymphocytic infiltration, fibrosis, atrophy of cellular parenchyma, and eosinophilic changes. An endemic iodine deficiency may also cause low thyroid level in pregnancy.
Signs and Symptoms
If you have low thyroid levels during your pregnancy, your initial symptoms may include intolerance to cold (instead of the usual heat intolerance that occur during pregnancy), muscle cramps, fatigue and constipation. As hypothyroidism progresses without being treated, you may easily gain weight even if you eat lesser amounts of food, your voice changes, your hair falls off, and your memory becomes poor. Dry skin, and a hard time getting up and started in the morning are other symptoms of having a low thyroid level.
Studies suggest that healthcare professionals attending pregnant women must see to it that before they screen routinely for low thyroid levels, they should advise women to be proactive in warding off the problem. Pregnant women need to add iodine, a necessary element for thyroid hormone production, to their diet and to their prenatal vitamins.
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