 development of a mature ovum, or egg, during each menstrual cycle. If your egg is fertilized, a proper balance among TSH, thyroxine and triiodothyronine is then necessary for maintaining your pregnancy. So, hypothyroidism can interfere with your ability to ovulate, conceive or carry a pregnancy to term.
Even mild hypothyroidism can interfere with fertility in some women, according to the authors of a study published in the April 2003 issue of “Human Reproduction.” Treatment of hypothyroidism in these women may improve their chances for conceiving. Not all women who are hypothyroid are infertile, and many hypothyroid women do conceive. If hypothyroidism during pregnancy is not addressed, fetal brain development can be impaired and infants may suffer lifelong learning disabilities. In addition, maternal hypothyroidism can lead to low birth weight, premature birth and breathing problems in newborns.
Women who are trying unsuccessfully to conceive should ask their doctors if hypothyroidism might be playing a role. Screening for hypothyroidism is recommended for all pregnant women and is usually done during your first prenatal visit. Hypothyroidism is readily treated with a daily oral dose of thyroid hormone.
- Social Science and Medicine: Infertility Treatment and Fertility-Specific Distress: A Longitudinal Analysis of a Population-Based Sample of U.S. Women
- Annals of Saudi Medicine: Effect of Thyroid Hormone Replacement Therapy on Ovarian Volume and Androgen Hormones in Patients With Untreated Primary Hypothyroidism
- British Journal of Pharmacology: Thyroid Hormone Potentiates Insulin Signaling and Attenuates Hyperglycemia and Insulin Resistance in a Mouse Model of Type 2 Diabetes
- The Open Reproductive Science Journal: Thyroid Hormones in Male Reproduction and Fertility
- Frontiers in Endocrinology: Paracrine Interactions of Thyroid Hormones and Thyroid Stimulating Hormone in the Female Reproductive Tract Have an Impact on Female Fertility
Stephen Christensen started writing health-related articles in 1976 and his work has appeared in diverse publications including professional journals, “Birds and Blooms” magazine, poetry anthologies and children's books. He received his medical degree from the University of Utah School of Medicine and completed a three-year residency in family medicine at McKay-Dee Hospital Center in Ogden, Utah.