Abstract
There is an increased need for thyroid hormones in pregnancy, and normal thyroid increases their synthesis in compensation. In the terrain of chronic autoimmune thyroiditis, such a compensation may be absent, and the resulting hypothyroidism (even subclinical), and even the autoimmune process itself, may adversely affect the pregnancy course and outcome, maternal quality of life, as well as neurological development of the offspring.
At least some of these risks are reversible by levothyroxine treatment. Therefore, we recommend universal screening of thyroid disorders in early pregnancy using TSH and TPO-Ab assays.