January 2008 · Vol. 20, No. 01How to manage hypothyroid disease in pregnancy
Pregnancy complicated by hypothyroidism puts mother and fetus at risk—symptoms or otherwise
FIRST OF 2 PARTS
|
Fast Track
Characteristic signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism resemble physiologic conditions typically seen in pregnancy
Expect to see a goiter in as many as half of patients who have postpartum hyperthyroiditis
|
|
Annette
E.
Bombrys,
DODr. Bombrys is a Fellow in Maternal–Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in Cincinnati, Ohio. Mounira
A.
Habli,
MDDr. Habli is a Fellow in Maternal–Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in Cincinnati, Ohio. Baha
M.
Sibai,
MDDr. Sibai is Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The authors report no financial relationships relevant to this article.
A pregnant woman whose thyroid gland isn’t doing its job presents a serious management problem for her obstetrician. If she has overt hypothyroidism, seen in between 0.3% and 2.5% of pregnancies, active intervention is required to prevent serious damage to the fetus.1,2 Even if she has subclinical disease, seen in 2% to 3% of pregnancies, current research indicates that intervention may be indicated.
|
