Thyroid dysfunction in pregnancy: practical perspective

Abstract

Pregnancy is a complex endocrine and metabolic status in life of women, therefore role of the thyroid physiology during this period will be profoundly affected, this has been attributed to the complex interplay of Human chorionic gonadotrophin that acts as TSH receptors’ stimulant, more estrogen is produced by placenta will lead to rise in the serum level of Thyrogublin binding protein, change in iodine homeostasis, and hemodynamic changes. From 12th -16th week of pregnancy, the fetus is entirely dependent on the thyroid status of the mother, therefore any disruption in this metabolic milieu will lead to negative outcomes on both the fetus and the mother. Therefore, the current guidelines have stressed on appropriate management of thyroid dysfunction in pregnancy with particular interest on early pregnancy, a critical period for neurocognitive development, then throughout the pregnancy and postpartum period (Figure 1).