Literature review
Thyroid diseases
Pregnancy is among the possible risk factors of
the thyroid dysfunction. Normal thyroid function
is essential for continuing normal reproduction.
Hormonal changes such as increase in the
estrogen level during pregnancy might lead to the
significant changes of the thyroid function and
iodine metabolism that eventually lead to higher
obstetric complications in some cases (3).
In some pregnancy cases, normal physiological
changes of the thyroid and nonspecific symptoms during
congestion can inhibit thyroid disorder detection.
The prevalence of the thyroid dysfunction
during pregnancy is estimated to be higher
in regions with severe iodine deficiency
compared with iodine-sufficient areas, which
necessitates the thyroid function controlling in
all the pregnant women to identify the cases with
thyroid disorders (4). The prevalence of thyroid
dysfunctions has been estimated to be almost 5%
of all the pregnant women and 5 -10 % among the
women at childbearing age.
Thyroid diseases as the second most common
disorder after the diabetes mellitus comprise
hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, chronic
autoimmune thyroiditis, and hypothyroxinemia.
Habitual abortion, preterm labor, fetal death,
retardation, congenital malformations, bleeding
and depression after birth, anemia, cardiac
disorder, and increased risk of maternal morbidity
and mortality are various consequences of
thyroid dysfunction during pregnancy (5,6).