Researchers from Tilburg University and the University of Amsterdam strongly recommend routine thyroid function testing for all pregnant women. This simple addition to standard prenatal care offers significant benefits for both mother and baby.
What Does Your Thyroid Do? The thyroid gland regulates key bodily processes, including metabolism. An overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) can lead to diarrhea, heart palpitations, and weight loss. An underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) often causes fatigue, weight gain, and cold sensitivity. Importantly, some people experience no obvious symptoms despite imbalances.
Critical for Your Baby's Development Thyroid hormones are essential during pregnancy. The fetus doesn't produce its own until around 20 weeks, relying entirely on the mother's supply for early brain and organ development.
The Strong Case for Screening Each year, about 1,000 women become pregnant unaware of their low thyroid hormone levels. Since blood is already drawn routinely, measuring thyroid function adds negligible cost or effort, per the researchers.
