Re: Baby with Grave's disease???

[Guest guest]

Hi Christi -

To sum up, the baby is only at risk for developing Graves' (or any

autoimmune thyroid problem for that matter) because of genetic inheritance.

It is NOT at risk for getting Graves' _from you_ because you have Graves'.

Any antibodies (which cause Graves') that might get transferred through the

placental barrier would cause temporary thyroid problems for the baby and

would resolve after the baby's birth and the antibodies expired. The baby is

not making it's own antibodies to the thyroid. So the baby may inherit a

genetic tendency towards an autoimmune thyroid disease, but there is no

guarantee that it will develop one.

The more important issue to watch for is now that you are on replacement

thyroid hormone, make sure to have your Free T4 and TSH tested in early

pregnancy. Hypothyroidism in the first trimester can cause birth defects and

lower IQ's in babies. Your replacement hormone requirements will likely

change during pregnancy, so be sure that you have an OB or reproductive endo

that understands the requirements for pregnant thyroid patients.

As for getting pregnant, if you are hypothyroid, it is supposedly harder to

become pregnant and you have a greater risk of miscarriage. Another good

reason to make sure you know what your Free T4 and TSH levels are before you

conceive. There is anecdotal evidence that some women have fertility

problems after having had RAI. Also, if you had RAI in June 2003, the

minimum waiting period for trying to conceive that I have seen is 6 months.

Some doctors reccommend a year. I'm sure someone else has the references to

back me up on this, I can't recall offhand.

Good luck! I wouldn't worry too much about the Graves' issue. It's pretty

much the same risk of inheriting any other health problems that run in any

family. It's the old genetic crap shoot!

Baby with Grave's disease???

> Hello everyone!

>

> I was diagnosed with Grave's disease in Feb. 2003 and had radio

> iodine treatment for it in June. After some months of waiting for

> my thyroid to stabilize it hasn't done so on it's own. So now I am

> on thyroxin indefinitely since my thyroid was under active. Now I

> am wanting to try and get pregnant early next year but the doctor

> has told me that there is a small chance that the baby could get

> Grave's disease since I would have to remain on thyroxin during the

> pregnancy. What are the odds of this happening??? Also is there

> any truth to not being able to conceive very easily if you have

> thyroid problems??? I'm a tad bit worried about getting pregnant

> again even though the chance of the baby getting Grave's disease is

> quite small but I guess someone has to make up the statistics.

> Thanks in advance for any info.

>

> Christi

>

>

>

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intended to replace expert medical care.

> Please consult your doctor before changing or trying new treatments.

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[Guest guest]

Hi Christi, I *think* what the doctor might have been trying to tell you was

that if you were on thyroid replacement hormone there was a chance the baby

could become hyperthyroid - not graves - there is a difference - one is

temporary and will fix itself once the baby is not exposed to the extra

hormone.... the other is autoimmune and it's so rare that a baby will have

Graves - though it's always a chance you could pass on the susceptibility

gene for graves and it could develop at a much later date... BUT there are

lots of women who have babies while on replacement hormones. I really wouldn

t worry about it. And there are lots of women who have babies after Graves -

they do it and the babies are fine. Either your thyroid is making it's own

hormones or you are getting it from a supplement - either way you and the

baby need it to survive and it will be something that is watched carefully

throughout the pregnancy.

The things you need to know about are this: hyperthyroid causes miscarriages

and hypo thyroid causes premature birth and lower IQ rates for the child.

So it's really really important to make sure your levels stay in the normal

ranges (or better yet, YOUR normal ranges) throughout the entire pregnancy.

This may prove to be a game of frequent blood tests and dose changes because

our bodies go through so much hormonally while prego and a healthy thyroid

does a lot of adjusting during this time too.

SO, it is possible, it is reasonable, and women have done it and had

beautiful healthy babies.

Maybe you should talk to an OB who specializes in high risk or special

circumstances pregnancies, rather than your endo - you will probably get a

better story.

You may also get mixed stories about how long to wait after RAI to try to

conceive - I think general consensus on here is 1 year... and I know after

reading about some of the women who developed fertility problems from the

RAI that it seems the sooner after that 1 year you start trying the better -

it seems those who wait 5-10 years have the most problems.

Good luck,

Pam B.

-- Baby with Grave's disease???

Hello everyone!

I was diagnosed with Grave's disease in Feb. 2003 and had radio

iodine treatment for it in June. After some months of waiting for

my thyroid to stabilize it hasn't done so on it's own. So now I am

on thyroxin indefinitely since my thyroid was under active. Now I

am wanting to try and get pregnant early next year but the doctor

has told me that there is a small chance that the baby could get

Grave's disease since I would have to remain on thyroxin during the

pregnancy. What are the odds of this happening??? Also is there

any truth to not being able to conceive very easily if you have

thyroid problems??? I'm a tad bit worried about getting pregnant

again even though the chance of the baby getting Grave's disease is

quite small but I guess someone has to make up the statistics.

Thanks in advance for any info.

Christi

-------------------------------------

The Graves' list is intended for informational purposes only and is not

intended to replace expert medical care.

Please consult your doctor before changing or trying new treatments.

----------------------------------------

DISCLAIMER

Advertisments placed on this yahoo groups list do not have the endorsement

of

the listowner. I have no input as to what ads are attached to emails.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------