The thyroid gland produces hormones which help to control temperature, growth, behavior, blood pressure and heart rate. Treatments for problems with the thyroid include medication, surgery or radiation. Pregnant women and their unborn children tolerate mild and moderate thyroid disorders without significant health problems.
Infertility is common with severe thyroid disorders.
Some treatments for thyroid disease cannot be used in pregnancy because of risk of harm to the developing fetus. Inadequately controlled hypothyroidism in pregnant women is associated with mental retardation and learning difficulties in children. Some forms of hyperthyroidism put a fetus at risk of growing slowly and being at risk for stillbirth. Treatment for hyperthyroidism needs to be monitored carefully to decrease the risk of the fetus developing hypothyroidism. Impact of Pregnancy on Thyroid Metabolism changes in pregnancy sometimes cause a need to change the dose of thyroid medications.