Thyroid medicine reduces risk of birth complications, research shows

A new study has shown that thyroid medicine, levothyroxine, reduces the risk associated with birth complications.

Some of these complications are stillbirths, under/overweight babies and early cesarean section.

Researchers from the University of Cardiff, United Kingdom, analysed 13, 000 women who were 12-16 weeks pregnant.

518 of them had mild hypothyroidism.

263 of the 518 women received treatment with the hormone replacement levothyroxin while the remaining 255 received no treatment.

The result from the levothyroxin treatment was measured through the stillbirth, preterm delivery rates; researchers checked for how long they were hospitalised , the weight of the baby at birth and the number of early cesarean sections.

They found that the treatment was effective for women with mild hypothyroidism, and their chances of having early c-section and low-weight babies were slim.

Women with mild hypothyroidism that didn’t receive the treatment, on the other hand, were prone to having stillbirth as opposed to those placed on levothyroxin treatment.

WHAT IS MILD HYPOTHYROIDISM?

Mild hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland does not produce enough hormones required for the mother and fetus

The thyroid is an endocrine gland located at the base of the neck whose main function is to take iodine from food and convert it into thyroid hormones.

The hormones produced are released into the bloodstream and transported throughout the body, where they control the body’s metabolism by turning oxygen and calories into energy.

These hormones are also responsible for the baby’s brain development as the fetus depend solely on the hormones produced in its mother’s thyroid gland.