Fetal thyroid development time

When it comes to thyroid disease, people are actually more concerned about the incidence rate among adults. In fact, for pregnant women, whether the thyroid secretion is normal will also affect the development of the fetus. Especially some pregnant mothers with hypothyroidism are worried that it will affect the normal life of their children. Today we will introduce to you the timing of fetal thyroid development and the impact of pregnant women’s thyroid secretion on the baby.

Effects of hypothyroidism in pregnant women on the fetus

Hypothyroidism is also a common disease during pregnancy. According to statistics, the incidence of hypothyroidism (pregnancy complicated by hypothyroidism) accounts for about 4%-10% of pregnant women. Hypothyroidism is often manifested by fatigue, chills, slow heart rate, dry skin and less sweat, drowsiness, memory loss, loss of appetite, constipation, menstrual disorders or infertility, weight gain, general edema, etc. Because it is relatively hidden and the clinical symptoms are not typical, it is often easily ignored. Few people will go to the hospital for diagnosis and treatment at the beginning of the disease, but it is very harmful to human health, especially to the fetus.

The harm of hypothyroidism in pregnant women to the fetus: leading to intellectual development disorders in the fetus

Experts believe that babies born to women with hypothyroidism are at increased risk for certain disorders, most notably intellectual and developmental problems. Because the thyroid hormones needed for fetal brain development mainly come from the mother, hypothyroidism in pregnant women will affect the normal development of the fetal nervous system, leading to intellectual development disorders in the fetus, low intelligence level at birth, and even cretinism (mental retardation, short stature, etc.).

Many studies have shown that pregnant women with clinical hypothyroidism, subclinical hypothyroidism, low T4 blood or TPOAb positivity will have a significant increase in miscarriage and pregnancy complications, and cause fetal brain development disorders, leading to a 6-8 point decrease in the IQ of offspring.

It is currently believed that only by diagnosing hypothyroidism before or in early pregnancy and treating it early can intellectual impairment of offspring be avoided. However, hypothyroidism has no or only mild clinical symptoms, and these symptoms are easily confused with pregnancy reactions and are difficult to diagnose, resulting in a low treatment rate. Therefore, timely detection and early treatment of hypothyroidism are very important.

The harm of hypothyroidism in pregnant women to the fetus: increase the risk of birth defects in the fetus

Hypothyroidism may increase the risk of birth defects in the fetus, and new research finds that women with thyroid disease are more likely to give birth to offspring with heart, kidney or brain abnormalities. This study from the United States shows that the proportion of babies born to mothers with thyroid diseases (including both hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism, with hypothyroidism being more common) who suffer from birth defects (brain, kidney, heart defects, cleft lip, cleft palate, polydactyly, etc.) is about 18%. In the general population, this proportion is only about 3%, which is also a danger of hypothyroidism.

The harm of hypothyroidism in pregnant women to the fetus: miscarriage, premature birth

If female patients with hypothyroidism fail to receive early diagnosis and timely treatment during pregnancy, they may suffer from adverse production events such as miscarriage, premature birth, placental abruption (a very serious complication that threatens the lives of the mother and fetus), and perinatal fetal death.

How to minimize the impact of hypothyroidism on pregnant women

First, get into the best condition before getting pregnant

Women with hypothyroidism who are preparing to become pregnant should avoid interrupting thyroid hormone treatment without authorization before or during pregnancy, so as to avoid the reappearance of symptoms that had disappeared after arbitrary discontinuation of the medication, causing irreversible damage to the organs. Instead, they should inform their doctor and adjust the medication as needed under the doctor's guidance so that their thyroid function reaches or is close to normal levels before pregnancy, adjust the body to a suitable state before preparing for pregnancy, and do follow-up and monitoring during the pregnancy.

Second, do a good job of prenatal check-up during pregnancy

It is advocated that thyroid hormone and autoantibody screening be performed on all women in early pregnancy, rather than just women planning pregnancy with a history of thyroid disease, a relevant family history, or corresponding symptoms.

Monitor their TSH, FT3, FT4 and TPOA levels, and assess whether the thyroid reserve and compensatory functions are normal based on whether TSH is within the specific reference range. Once abnormalities occur, they should actively cooperate with the doctor's treatment to achieve early detection, early diagnosis and early treatment to reduce the occurrence of adverse pregnancy outcomes for mothers and babies.

Third, if hypothyroidism is detected, treatment should be started immediately

For pregnant women with no history of hypothyroidism but newly diagnosed with clinical hypothyroidism during pregnancy, some pregnant women worry that drug treatment will affect the fetus and refuse treatment. This practice is unsafe for both mother and baby. Treatment should be received immediately under the guidance of a professional doctor to adjust the body to an optimal state suitable for continuing the pregnancy as quickly as possible.

Pregnant women with positive antibodies and normal thyroid function can be treated or not, but thyroid function needs to be monitored regularly because thyroid function may deteriorate during pregnancy. If serum TSH exceeds the normal range during monitoring, treatment should be given immediately.