Is high tsh level is harmful in pregnancy?
TSH or thyroid stimulating hormone. It is extremely important to diagnose and treat clinical hypothyroidism in early pregnancy. The developing fetus cannot make its own thyroid hormone until about the 10th week of gestation. During this time, it relies on thyroid hormone production from the mom. Severe hypothyroidism is pregnant women, particularly in the 1st trimester, is associated with a host of pregnancy complications including pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure of pregnancy), placental abruption (separation of the placenta from the wall of the uterus), preterm birth, low birth weight and even fetal death. The babies can suffer from neurologic impairment, mental retardation, and intellectual impairment during childhood. Fortunately, because women with hypothyroidism don’t usually get pregnant, clinical hypothyroidism in pregnancy is very rare, maybe occurring in 1 in 5000 pregnancies.
