Of interest, though, are recent follow-up reports indicating that approximately 30 percent of women who became hypothyroid in the postpartum period become permanently hypothyroid. If a woman has been given thyroid hormone treatment, it is necessary to discontinue it for four to six weeks in order to do blood tests for T4 and TSH, to see if the hypothyroidism has resolved or if it is permanent. Summary Postpartum thyroiditis is a common disorder which frequently goes unrecognized. A plausible explanation for the failure to detect this disease more often is that many women have a variety of symptoms in the first three months postpartum. Although the symptoms are frequently transient, lasting six months or less, there is no reason why these new mothers should needlessly suffer.
Treatment is inexpensive, safe, and effective.
A problem facing the medical profession at this time is to determine an efficient and inexpensive way in which we can identify in advance women who might benefit from treatment.