What can be done to avoid the consequences of hypothyroidism in pregnancy?
A number of medical associations and organizations have made recommendations on screening for thyroid disease. Some of the recommendations are listed below: • All women who are planning a pregnancy should be considered for screening of thyroid disease. • All pregnant women with a goiter (enlarged thyroid), high blood levels of thyroid antibodies, a family history of thyroid disease, or symptoms of hypothyroidism should be tested for hypothyroidism. • In women who are borderline, or sub-clinical, hypothyroid (for example, not in the laboratory range for true hypothyroidism, but within the low normal range) and who also have positive antibodies (which may indicate an ongoing autoimmune thyroid destruction), therapy with low dose thyroid hormone at the onset of pregnancy may be beneficial. • There is some evidence that the antibodies that may contribute to hypothyroidism can play a role in pregnancy. Data suggest that selenium supplementation may be of benefit in women with high antibody
