Thyroid Hormone: Optimizing the Engine for Pregnancy and Beyond

Previous blogs have detailed mechanisms of thyroid hormone, the thyroid gland and its essential function in allowing us to function both in pregnancy and beyond.  The American Thyroid Association (ATA) task force has outlined recommendations for assessing and monitoring levels.  Salient recommendations are listed below:

• Oral thyroid hormone is indicated for women who demonstrate overt hypothyroidism.
• Hypothyroidism is associated with an increased risk of miscarriage and preterm birth.
• Women with subclinical hypothyroidism and thyroid antibodies should be treated as well.
• Women receiving thyroid replacement should increase their dose by  at least 25% when they become pregnant
• Two pills on the weekends should meet the needs for pregnancy.
• (TSH) Serum hormone levels should be monitored every month through 20 weeks then at least once between 26-32 weeks gestation.
• TSH range should be 0.1-2.5 mIU/L for the first trimester increasing to 0.2-3.0mIU/L for the second trimester and 0.3-3.0mIU/L for the last trimester.
• The RDA of Iodine is 250ug daily not to exceed 500ug daily from diet and/or supplements.

Remember, healthy mothers make healthy babies.  Optimizing your chances and affording you the healthiest pregnancy possible favors great outcomes!