Thyroid Disease in Pregnancy: Causes and Treatment

Thyroid disease is a disorder which impacts your thyroid gland. Thyroid hormones control the way your body uses energy and thus, it effects the way every organ in your body functions. Sometimes thyroid starts making high or low amounts of these hormones. One of the conditions, when your thyroid makes too much of hormone, is known as hyperthyroidism which speeds up the functions of your body. However, if you are pregnant and you have thyroid during pregnancy, you can still have a healthy pregnancy and keep your baby secure by having periodic thyroid functions test and taking the medications prescribed to you.

Though thyroid problems can be tough to diagnose during pregnancy because of the higher levels of thyroid hormones both in thyroid disorder and pregnancy. However, there are symptoms which makes it simple to spot and prompt your physician to treat it.

Symptoms of hyperthyroidism in pregnancy

Some symptoms of hyperthyroidism in pregnancy include irregular and faster heartbeat, tiredness and problem in handling heat. Others are:

• Shaky hands
  
• Unexplained weight loss to acquire normal weight gain during pregnancy.
  

Causes of hyperthyroidism in pregnancy

One of the causes of hyperthyroidism in pregnancy is Graves’ disease which happens in 2 women out of 1000 in the US. Graves’ disease is a disease where your immunity system starts producing antibodies which make thyroid create too much thyroid hormone. It may initially appear during your pregnancy. However, the symptoms start improving in the second and third semester. The disease may worsen after the delivery of your child when the TSI levels rise. So, if you have Graves’ disease, then your doctor will go for thyroid function test all through your pregnancy and may prescribe medication to treat hyperthyroidism. Remember if thyroid hormones are very high, then it may harm you and your baby’ health.

How can hyperthyroidism affect you and your child?

If you leave it untreated, then it may cause miscarriage, low weight of the child during birth, premature delivery, thyroid storm, preeclampsia and congestive heart failure. In some cases, Graves’ disease can also impact your baby’s thyroid and forcing it to produce too much of thyroid hormone. Even if your doctors destroy the thyroid cells, your body will still make TSI antibody and if this goes high in your body, then it may reach to your baby’s bloodstream and force it to product too much thyroid hormone.

So, if you have undergone surgery or radioactive treatment for Graves’s disease, then let your doctor know about it. If your TSI levels are very high, then your doctor will monitor your baby for thyroid issues later during your pregnancy.

An overactive thyroid in your child could cause:

• a faster heartbeat which can cause heart failure
  
• poor weight gain
  
• irritation
  
• early closure of the soft spot in the skull of your baby
  

Diagnosis

Hyperthyroidism during pregnancy can be diagnosed by doing blood tests. It will measure your thyroid hormone levels. Your doctor will search for antibodies and see if Graves’s disease has led to hyperthyroidism.

Treatment of hyperthyroidism during pregnancy

If you are going to undergo treatment of hyperthyroidism during pregnancy, then you first need to diagnose the level. If you have mild hyperthyroidism, then you don’t need any treatment. But if your disease is related hyperemesis gravidarum, then you may require treatment for dehydration and vomiting.

And, if you are suffering from severe hyperthyroidism, then your physician may suggest anti-thyroid medications which prevents your thyroid from making too much thyroid hormone. It prohibits too much of thyroid hormone from entering your baby’s bloodstream. You can also get in contact with an endocrinologist to monitor your baby and ensure you are getting the right medication.

Often doctors prescribe propylthiouracil during the first trimester of pregnancy. Another medication which is light on the body and has lesser side effects is methimazole. So, after the first trimester is over, doctors often switch to this. A lot of women do not need any anti-thyroid medication after the third trimester is over.

Small quantity of anti-thyroid medications enters the bloodstream of your child and causes lower production thyroid hormone in your baby too. Hence if you take anti-thyroid medications, your doctor should give you the lowest possible dose to prevent hypothyroidism in your child. Sometimes anti-thyroid medications have side effects too. If you have allergic reactions or fall in your white blood cell count, then you should stop the medication and visit your doctor immediately. Get your blood test done periodically to keep a check on your thyroid hormones.