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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Pregnant, Hypothyroidism. Will High TSH Affect Baby's Growth?

Hi, my wife is 16 weeks pregnant now. She has hypothyroid and before pregnancy she was taking 50 mg levothyroxine as recommended by doctor when we initially found out that she had thyroid. Than when she was 5 weeks pregnant her thyroid shot up to 38.5 , so the GP recommended to increase the dose of levo to 100 mg. When she was 12 weeks it was 6.8, so she had to increase the dose again to 150mg. Now in 15 weeks it s come to normal at 2.8. My question is would high TSH during first 3 months of pregnancy had any effect on baby s growth?
Wed, 10 Oct 2012
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OBGYN,  's  Response
Hello,
The dosage of levothyroxine may be needed to be increased up to 30-50% during pregnancy. The aim of treatment is to maintain the level of TSH below 2.5 mIU/ml in early pregnancy and below 3 mIU/ml in later pregnancy. Monitoring is done every 4-6 weeks through assay of T4 and TSH levels. Elevated levels of TSH and untreated hypothyroidism has affects on the baby as well as the pregnancy outcome. The baby may be low birth weight, premature delivery is possible and there is increased risk of neonatal distress. You may consult your doctor for further clarifications. Good luck.
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Pregnant, Hypothyroidism. Will High TSH Affect Baby's Growth?

Hello, The dosage of levothyroxine may be needed to be increased up to 30-50% during pregnancy. The aim of treatment is to maintain the level of TSH below 2.5 mIU/ml in early pregnancy and below 3 mIU/ml in later pregnancy. Monitoring is done every 4-6 weeks through assay of T4 and TSH levels. Elevated levels of TSH and untreated hypothyroidism has affects on the baby as well as the pregnancy outcome. The baby may be low birth weight, premature delivery is possible and there is increased risk of neonatal distress. You may consult your doctor for further clarifications. Good luck.