Thyroid Awareness Month
“Proper thyroid function is key when trying to conceive and deliver a healthy baby. At the beginning of development, the fetus relies only on the thyroid hormones produced by the mother, and these hormones pass through the placenta to the fetus.
Therefore, examination of thyroid function is a standard part of any initial examination in sterile or infertile women. Women with reduced function not only have less chance of getting pregnant, but also have more frequent miscarriages. In the later stages of pregnancy, the fetus is at risk of less weight, a higher risk of preeclampsia and placental dysfunction, and a disorder of psychomotor development.
In women with hyperthyroidism – higher thyroid function – there are also serious pregnancy complications – high fetal heart rate and developmental disorders. Therefore, it is recommended to examine the limit values of the thyroid gland, treat with the correct medication and then continuously check.”
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January is “Thyroid Awareness Month,” which calls attention to the various health problems connected to the thyroid.
Proper thyroid function is key when trying to conceive and deliver a healthy baby. At the beginning of development, the fetus relies only on the thyroid hormones produced by the mother, and these hormones pass through the placenta to the fetus. Therefore, examination of thyroid function is a standard part of any initial examination in sterile or infertile women.
Women with reduced function not only have less chance of getting pregnant, but also have more frequent abortions. In later pregnancy, the fetus is at risk of less weight, a higher risk of preeclampsia and placental dysfunction, and a psychomotor development disorder. In women with hyperthyroidism – higher thyroid function – there are also serious pregnancy complications – high fetal heart rate and developmental disorders. Therefore, it is recommended to examine the limit values of the thyroid gland, treat with the correct medication and then continuously check.
Low levels of thyroid hormone can interfere with the release of an egg from your ovary (ovulation), which impairs fertility. For women, treating hypothyroidism is an important part of any effort to correct infertility.
While many are aware that an imbalance of TSH, T3, and T4 can cause weight or mood changes, did you know that it can also impact your menstrual cycle and fertility?
In other words, your thyroid is something that’s worth paying attention to. Thus, it seems reasonable to screen for thyrotropin (TSH) and thyroid peroxidase autoantibodies (TPO-abs) in infertile women attempting pregnancy.
TSH is produced by the pituitary gland. It tells the thyroid gland to produce more hormones when needed.
Elevated TSH levels can indicate an underactive thyroid gland.
The best way to assess thyroid levels is to ask for a blood test. Conventional wisdom suggests that 4.2 should be the upper limit for TSH. However, recent studies have suggested that TSH should be no higher than 2.5 when trying to conceive and 3.0 during pregnancy. Thyroid hormones are synthesized from iodine, so it is also important that iodine levels are optimal. If TSH or iodine levels prove to be too high/low, this can be easily rectified with supplementary medication.
Our IVF specialists recommend to all our future patients to test before attempting and IVF treatment : fT4, TSH, anti-TPO
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