Giving more pregnant women common thyroid medicine may reduce risk of complications

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-11/sfe-gmp110716.php

Public Release: 8-Nov-2016
Giving more pregnant women common thyroid medicine may reduce risk of complications
Society for Endocrinology

Extending the number of pregnant women given the common drug levothyroxine to boost thyroid hormone levels may lead to a reduced number of stillbirths, early caesarean sections and low-weight babies, according to a new study presented today at the Society for Endocrinology annual conference in Brighton.

The thyroid gland is an organ found in the base of the neck. It produces essential hormones that control the body's metabolism - the way we use energy. Thyroid hormones are also critical for foetal brain development, but babies cannot make any of their own until the second trimester and have to source all of it from their mothers.

2-3% of pregnant women have mild hypothyroidism, meaning they have low levels of thyroid hormones. This can be treated with a hormone replacement drug called levothyroxine.

•••••

They found that women with mild hypothyroidism treated with levothyroxine had a lower risk of giving birth to low weight babies and were also less likely to undergo an early caesarean. Untreated women with mild hypothyroidism were more likely to have a stillbirth than women with normal thyroid function and no stillbirths occurred in the treated group. However, there was no significant difference between the other obstetric outcomes or when all outcomes were combined.

•••••

While further trials are needed to confirm these findings, Dr Taylor believes more substantial benefits might be found by treating the pregnant women at an earlier stage than used in this study. "

•••••