Monday, January 08, 2007

Asymptomatic Thyroid Problems in Mother Can Harm Newborn

Here's a new year's resolution for anyone thinking of getting pregnant this year accidentally or on purpose: GET YOUR THYROID CHECKED.

Here's a "top 10" from Mary Shomon's About.com thyroid guide:

Researchers, reporting in the January 2006 issue of the journal Pediatrics, have reported that there is an increased risk of neurological problems in infants when the mother was hypothyroid -- had low thyroid hormone levels -- early in the pregnancy, even if the mother had no symptoms...

...Some experts are now agreeing that routine screening of thyroid function in pregnant women during the early part of the first trimester may be warranted, given these current findings.

Obviously, they haven't mandated it yet, probably the insurance companies think it's too costly. I remember my primary care doc hemmed and hawed over getting me tested, and then my TSH came in at a 9 (fairly high!) with an extra helping of bad antibodies, and even then he wasn't too urgent about referring me to an endo even though he knew we were trying to get pregnant.

You have to take charge of your own health!

Read the whole article here.

4 comments:

~elise said...

not about Thyroid...just a THANK YOU! Through your blog I found an organic FARM by my house and will be able to become a member of the CSA farm and get ALL my healthy eggs, veggies, meats this year!

Thanks from Ohio!
elise

GreenFertility said...

I'm so happy, Elise! Thanks for taking such good care of your family and helping save the earth!!!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the thryroid info! I had a slightly low thyroid about 10 years ago, which was diagnosed by my accupuncturist and confirmed by my western doctor. It normalized naturally so I never went on meds, but I just found out that I am pregnant and I want to know the right questions to ask. Two and a half years of trying and just 4 months of accupuncture! I'm nervous, though, to be meeting with the western doctors during this process. So much of what they say does not make sense to me - in fact, I did request testing for thryoid issues a year or two ago due to my inability to conceive and they said it wasn't necessary. Time for me to start getting tough with these people!

Ali

GreenFertility said...

Hey Ali--

CONGRATULATIONS!!! (I love how you just slip it in there....) YOU DID IT!!!

xxxoooo