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A pregnant mother's thyroid health is critical, because an underactive thyroid gland may increase the risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, lower infant IQ scores, learning disabilities or developmental problems in children.
Some doctors recommend mothers have a TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) test and, if necessary, be treated for thyroid disease as early in pregnancy as possible—preferably in the first three months. Mothers diagnosed with thyroid disease should be tested regularly.
Pregnant women may be more susceptible to thyroid disorders owing to fluctuations in hormonal levels. Thyroid disorders include when the thyroid gland is either under-active and producing too little thyroid hormone (hypothyroidism) or over-active and producing too much thyroid hormone (hyperthyroidism).
The thyroid gland often is called “gland central”. For good reason: your thyroid produces hormones that regulate your growth, maturation, and speed of metabolism, and it regulates your sensitivity to other hormones.
New research shows only one pregnant woman in eight was told by her doctor why a thyroid test was important. Only one in seven had a TSH test while pregnant.
So ask your doctor for a TSH test. It's a simple, quick blood test.
Approximately three million Canadians, most of them women, are believed to have thyroid disorders.
To learn more: www.whatswrongwithme.com and www.thyroid.ca
