WOMEN’S HEALTH WEDNESDAY
You may have heard of gestational diabetes, but a new study shows that the prevalence of gestational hypothyroidism may lead to a new standard in pre-natal screenings. Quest Diagnostics labs conducted a study of over 500,000 pregnant mothers recently and discovered that 15% of them had TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) levels above the norm, despite the fact that they showed few clinical symptoms. Undetected hypothyroidism during pregnancy may result in miscarriage, hypertension, gestational diabetes, low birth weight and delayed cognitive development. Just like with pregnancy-related diabetes, the condition was relieved in some patients but not all. Postpartum hypothyroidism has been predicted to be a contributing factor in fatigue, depression and weight gain. Risk factors include maternal age (35+), obesity and Asian heritage.
