Effects on mother and baby

The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland in the front of the neck which makes thyroid hormones. Thyroid disease is a clutch of disorders affecting the thyroid gland. The thyroid hormones control how your body uses energy, affecting the way almost every organ works.

During pregnancy, these hormones are critical for ensuring normal development of your baby’s brain and nervous system. In the first trimester, the baby is reliant on the mother’s supply of thyroid hormone, via the placenta. When the thyroid produces too much hormone, it is called hyperthyroidism and when it makes too little hormone, the condition is referred to as hypothyroidism.

Hyperthyroidism in pregnancy

Signs and symptoms:

# Faster or irregular heart beat

# Overwhelmed by heat

# Fatigue

# Trembling hands

# Unexplained weight loss

# Failure to achieve normal, pregnancy-related weight gain

What causes hyperthyroidism in pregnancy?

The condition is usually caused by Graves’ disease, an autoimmune disorder in which your immune system creates antibodies triggering excess production of thyroid hormone.

How can untreated hyperthyroidism affect the mother and baby?

# Miscarriage

# Premature birth

# Low birthweight

# Preeclampsia (dangerous spike in BP)

# Thyroid storm (a sudden, violent worsening of symptoms)

# Congestive heart failure

Graves’ disease may also affect the baby’s thyroid. An overactive thyroid in a newborn can cause:

# A rapid heart rate which can lead to heart failure

# Early closing of the soft spot in the baby’s skull

# Inadequate weight gain

# Irritability

Hypothyroidism in pregnancy

Signs and symptoms:

# Extreme fatigue

# Struggling with cold

# Muscle cramps

# Severe constipation

# Having trouble with memory and concentration

What causes hypothyroidism in pregnancy?

It is usually caused by another autoimmune disorder known as Hashimoto’s disease. In this disease, the immune system produces antibodies that attack the thyroid, leading to inflammation and damage, and less thyroid hormone production.

How can untreated hypothyroidism affect the mother and baby?

# Preeclampsia

# Anaemia

# Miscarriage

# Low birthweight

# Stillbirth

# Congestive heart failure in rare cases

Postpartum thyroiditis

It is an inflammation of the thyroid that affects around one in 20 women during the first year after giving birth. The inflammation causes stored hormone to leak out of the thyroid gland, initially leading to hyperthyroidism, lasting for up to three months. The damage to the thyroid can then cause hypothyroidism, usually lasting up to a year after the baby is born. In some women, however, it doesn’t go away.

Signs and symptoms of postpartum thyroiditis:

# Irritability

# Trouble dealing with heat

# Fatigue

# Sleeplessness

# Fast heartbeat

# Moodiness

# Depression