The thyroid and pregnancy have a direct relationship that not everyone knows about. During pregnancy, the mother’s thyroid gland should increase its thyroxine production by 30% to 50%. Its balance and proper functioning will promote the correct brain development of the fetus and its nervous system at all times. the first trimester.
Sometimes it is fascinating and frightening to discover how our glands and hormones affect our well-being, often a small imbalance between them is enough to realize that some things are not going well, one can gain or lose weight, get more tired or, worse, if the woman wants to conceive a baby, can even have some difficulties.
- The thyroid of the fetus does not form until the twelfth or twelfth week of gestation; until then.
- The fetus depends exclusively on the mother.
Irregularities in menstruation, fertility and even the good development of pregnancy depend on this small organ that is shaped like a butterfly and is located in our neck, which at just 30g represents an incredible manufacture of hormones triyodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). ) that have a huge impact on our health and, above all, on the proper development of a baby during the first few months of pregnancy.
The thyroid gland develops in the fetus between the tenth and twelfth week of gestation, until then the baby depends exclusively on the maternal gland, something like this is certainly of paramount importance, if a woman has a medical history characterized by a thyroid disorder, such as hypothyroidism, several things can happen.
The first is that although there are some difficulties in conceiving a baby, this does not mean that it is impossible to get pregnant, however, the risk of abortion is real, such as premature births or the presence of other medical problems. preeclampsia (gestational hypertension).
Thyroid and pregnancy are two words that every woman should consider if she wants to have a child, so it is always recommended to perform tests to diagnose any problems, any small dysfunction that may lead to more serious problems in the short or long term. long-term.
A normal pregnancy alone involves a direct change in thyroid function due to the influence of two hormones: the human chorionic gonadotropin hormone (hCG), the hormone that is measured in pregnancy tests, and estrogen, the main female hormone.
The first, the chorionic gonadrotphin hormone, acts as a thyroid stimulant, this change in the woman’s body appears 2 or 3 days after conception and lasts about three months, there are mothers who perceive this change in a more pronounced way (also known as false hyperthyroidism), when they have more vomiting than normal, palpitations and even weight loss.
However, once the second trimester has reached, other effects also appear that also alter thyroid function, in this case female hormones (estrogens) are responsible, so between 16 and 20 weeks what happens is that the level of this protein responsible for fixing thyroxine in the blood doubles (TGB). This change is known as false hypothyroidism, but if clinical analysis indicates that free T4 (thyroxine) has not been altered, no problem.
Because the thyroid and pregnancy have such an obvious relationship, it is common for the thyroid profile to be monitored periodically throughout pregnancy, so if insufficient thyroxine production is detected, we will face the diagnosis of hypothyroidism, it must be said that this disease is easily treatable. Symptoms include:
Thus, as we said at the beginning, the onset of thyroid problems during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage and preterm birth.
The onset of hyperthyroidism during pregnancy is a relatively unusual disorder; as demographic studies show, the incidence is 2 women per thousand. Symptoms include:
It should be considered here that if a mother suffers from hyperthyroidism during pregnancy and is not treated, there is also a risk of stillbirth.
The relationship between the thyroid and pregnancy should not make us lose sleep if we have adequate medical follow-up, these thyroid disorders are treatable and have a good prognosis for both mother and baby, however, if you have a family history associated with this disease and are considering having a baby, it is recommended to discuss this information with doctors.
A framework based on regular controls, as well as a proper diet and healthy lifestyles, will undoubtedly allow for a safer pregnancy.