Pregnancy can sometimes be seen as a two-faced affair. On one side, it represents the blissful aspirations of a woman to finally give birth to a child, and on the other side, there lurks the dangers associated with the process that could undermine the health of both the mother and her child. As such, despite the joys associated with pregnancy, the stage is nonetheless mixed with an air of caution and vigilance to assure a safe journey to motherhood.



Pregnancy as a process involves numerous risk factors, some of which are potentially fatal if ignored or left untreated. Aside from the serious complications pregnancy brings, there are also the less serious but uncomfortable complaints such as frequent urination and back pains...

Thyroid Disorders in Pregnancy

One of the serious complications that could arise during pregnancy is thyroid disorders. Thyroid diseases affect around 25 percent of all women in their reproductive age.. Not surprisingly, thyroid disorders are a major concern affecting pregnant women. Most thyroid disorders that occur during pregnancy are autoimmune in nature, which means that the body's own antibodies can take care of such disorders. The body develops antibodies, which are directed against thyroid cells. The action of antibodies on thyroid cells does affect the functions of the thyroid glands..

Hypothyroidism and Hyperthyroidism

In some instances, the antibodies reduce the function of the thyroid glands and the result is known as hypothyroidism, which is a reduction in the function of the thyroid glands. On the other hand, the action of antibodies on the thyroid tissue may stimulate thyroid cell function. This situation is known as hyperthyroidism because it is characterized by an overfunctioning of the thyroid. Both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism are anomalies in the function and state of the thyroid, which may occur during pregnancy and could bring about unwanted effects.

Careful Assessment in Treating Thyroid Disorder

In pregnancies where the mother is experiencing anomalies affecting the thyroids, medical treatment should be administered at once to avoid further complications that may worsen the situation for both mother and her child. However, in case of hyperthyroidism, caution should be exercised in assessing the symptoms experienced by the mother such as palpitations of the heart, sweating, and intolerance to heat. Although such may reveal the presence of hyperthyroidism, they are common in almost all pregnancies and are perfectly normal.

Treatment for Thyroid Disorders During Pregnancy

The following are the treatments for thyroid disorders during pregnancy.

Thyroid stimulating hormone treatment. When hypothyroidism is detected in a pregnant woman, the most common solution employed is the injection of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). The TSH will seek to balance the thyroid activity as doctors take care to religiously monitor the hormone level in the body. One of the common drugs administered is thyroxine. Thyroxine seeks to restore TSH level to normal.

Antithyroid medication. If hyperthyroidism is left untreated, the risks involve fetal death and other maternal comlications. The most commonly used method for treating hyperthyroidism is antithyroid medication. The most commonly used drug to treat hyperthyroidism is propylthiouracil.