Thyroid disease increases birth defects?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Tran Lam Khoa - Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital.
When pregnant women have thyroid disease, they can give birth to babies with birth defects of the heart, brain and kidneys. In particular, if pregnant women have hypothyroidism, there is a higher risk of having a baby with birth defects than with hyperthyroidism. So how is thyroid disease related to birth defects in the fetus?

1. What is thyroid disease?

The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland located at the bottom of the neck. It is part of the hormonal system responsible for coordinating many body activities. The thyroid gland produces hormones that regulate metabolism. When thyroid disorders can cause some thyroid diseases as follows:
Hyperthyroidism Hyperthyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland is overactive. The disease is caused by the thyroid gland producing too much hormone, women will be affected by this disease more than men. Graves' disease Graves' disease, also known as Graves' disease, is an autoimmune disorder that occurs when the body's immune system mistakenly attacks the thyroid gland. This, in turn, can cause the thyroid gland to overproduce the hormone responsible for regulating metabolism.
Hypothyroidism Hypothyroidism is the opposite of hyperthyroidism. When this happens, the thyroid gland will be underactive and not produce enough hormones. Hypothyroidism is usually caused by Hashimoto's disease, surgical removal of the thyroid gland, or damage from radiation therapy.
Hashimoto's disease Hashimoto's disease is also known as chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis. It occurs when the body's immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys the thyroid gland and its ability to produce hormones.

2. Fetal birth defects

Birth defects can affect structure, organ function, and both physical and mental development. Most birth defects occur within the first three months of pregnancy, when organs are still being formed. Some serious birth defects can be the leading cause of death in babies.
Fetal birth defects can be caused by: genetics, lifestyle or behaviour, exposure to drugs and chemicals, infections during pregnancy or can be a combination of all these factors.
Some common birth defects in the fetus are as follows:
Structural malformations of a body part that may be missing or malformed such as: heart defect, cleft lip or palate, spina bifida , ... These influences often affect the development of intelligence. Functional and developmental birth defects are metabolic defects, sensory problems, and nervous system problems. These birth defects include: Down syndrome (causes both physical and mental retardation), sickle cell disease (deformed red blood cells that damage many organs).

3. The relationship between thyroid disease and birth defects in the fetus

Women with thyroid disease are more likely to have babies with birth defects.
Research by Dr. David Nagey of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, reported at the meeting of the Society for Maternal and Fetal Medicine in New Orleans, said: babies born to people Women with thyroid disease are at increased risk of heart, brain, and kidney defects. Furthermore, infants are also at risk for structural abnormalities such as cleft lip or cleft palate or morphological abnormalities of the limbs.
The risk of heart defects is found to be greater in women with an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) and also in women with an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism). This risk may also occur in women who use medications to help keep the thyroid gland working properly. It is possible that the antibodies that cause an underactive thyroid are the same antibodies that cause birth defects.
Hypothyroidism is associated with birth defects in the fetus. Hyperthyroidism can cause fetal thyroid dysfunction as well as fetal arrhythmias. Therefore, it is very important to diagnose and test thyroid diseases as well as thyroid function before and during pregnancy.

Realizing that importance, now Vinmec International General Hospital has been and continues to deploy a package maternity service, this service was born as a solution to help pregnant women feel secure because there is a consensus. The practice of the medical team during pregnancy from care, monitoring, comprehensive examination, ultrasound testing and health advice to pregnant women on how to develop healthy fetuses. Pregnant women can rest assured and relax during pregnancy, without having to worry about missing appointments and making appointments. In particular, maternity packages also come with many gift programs and free prenatal classes. When going to give birth, a pregnant mother does not need to prepare too many things because Vinmec has already prepared essential items for mother and child during childbirth and convalescence at the hospital.
Currently, to improve service quality, Vinmec is also equipped with a system of ultrasound machines and modern medical equipment. Accordingly, the examination and diagnosis process at Vinmec is performed by qualified and well-trained doctors, so it will soon detect obstetric problems and pathologies, fetal malformations from early (if any) for timely examination and treatment right after the baby is born.
Master, Doctor Tran Lam Khoa is trained and used to work specializing in fetal medicine and prenatal diagnosis at Necker Hospital - Prenatal diagnosis center - Fetal intervention and treatment center France's largest. This is also the place where difficult and complicated diseases are concentrated with the world's leading professors of fetal medicine and fetal intervention. Currently, Doctor Khoa is working at Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital, he will directly diagnose, treat, and intervene in fetuses to bring healthy babies and bring happiness to parents. future mother.
References: webmd.com, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov,healthline.com

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