Previous research has shown that low levels of thyroid hormone in pregnant women can cause mildly impaired development in their children. As a result, some experts have advocated screening women of childbearing age for thyroid disease.
In order to assess the potential cost and impact of screening, Dr. Ruth M. Belin and colleagues at the John Hopkins University School of Medicine in Balitmore gathered data from 5, 516 women ages 17 to 45 from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) performed by the National Center for Health Statistics at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of American. They found that low thyroid hormone levels affect an estimated 40,000 pregnant and 1.6 million nonpregnant women in the United States. They also concluded that, 3.1 percent of reproductive age women in the United States have low thyroid hormone levels.
"Previous studies have focused on the prevalence of low thyroid hormone levels in women who already know they are pregnant, rather than the prevalence in women who do not realize they are pregnant or could become pregnant. During the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, fetal brain development relies on maternal thyroid hormone therefore a targeted screening of women before they become pregnant may prove effective in preventing developmental problems," explained Dr. Belin.
The Endocrine Society is the world's oldest, largest, and most active organization devoted to research on hormones, and the clinical practice of endocrinology. Endocrinologists are specially trained doctors who diagnose, treat and conduct basic and clinical research on complex hormonal disorders such as diabetes, thyroid disease, osteoporosis, obesity, hypertension, cholesterol and reproductive disorders.
Today, The Endocrine Society's membership consists of over 11,000 scientists, physicians, educators, nurses and students, in more than 80 countries. Together, these members represent all basic, applied, and clinical interests in endocrinology. The Endocrine Society is based in Bethesda, Maryland. To learn more about the Society, and the field of endocrinology, visit the Society's web site at www.endo-society.org.