Management of hyperthyroidism in a pregnant woman (review)

Thyroid disorders are common in pregnancy and can result in serious complications for the pregnant women and her child. During pregnancy hyperthyroidism is uncommon an occur in<1% of cases Hyperthyroidism in a women who are of childbearing age is predominantly of auto immune in origin caused by Graves disease. The physiological changes in the maternal immune system during a pregnancy may influence the development of this and other autoimmune diseases. Furthermore, pregnancy-associated physiological changes influence the synthesis and metabolism of thyroid hormones and challenge the interpretation of thyroid function tests in pregnancy. Thyroid hormones are crucial regulators of early development and play an important role in the maintenance of a normal pregnancy and in the development of the foetus, particularly the foetal brain. Early identification and adequate management of hyperthyroidism in a pregnant woman is essential, because uncontrolled thyrotoxicosis significantly increases the risk of maternal and foetal complication. The treatment of choice in pregnancy is Antithyroid drugs (ATDs). Birth defects have been reported in association with the use of ATDs during early pregnancy. Because of the above consideration the management of pregnant women with hyperthyroidism requires special care bearing in mind that both maternal thyroid excess perse and related treatment may adversely affect the new born health. In this reviews we discuss the diagnosis and management of hyperthyroidism in pregnancy along with the impact of hyperthyroidism on pregnancy and synthesis the treatment options during pregnancy and lactation.