Hormones And Biochemistry

Thyroxine in pregnancy

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The thyroid gland is the organ of the endocrine system that is responsible for synthesizing the most important hormones:

  • triiodothyronine( T3),
  • thyroxine( T4),
  • calcitonin.

All of them take part in the processes of general metabolism, growth and development of the body, affect the emotional state of a person. It is necessary to understand that for diagnosis of the thyroid gland pathology, T4 is the most valuable, or rather its free fraction. The hormone is transported through the human body with the help of a special transport protein, which contains a trace element of selenium. If it is in such a relationship with the protein, it is called bound. When thyroxine does not attach to the carrier molecule, it remains free.

Physiology and basic functions of thyroxine

Pregnancy

T4, both in women and men, are always less active than T3.In the process of its metabolism in the body, it often turns into triiodothyronine, giving up one iodine molecule, and only then it exerts its influence.

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First, thyroxine is formed on the basis of thyroglobulin in the parenchyma of the thyroid gland. It is approximately 75-80% of the number of all hormones in the tissues of the endocrine organ. As necessary, it enters the bloodstream, where it is fixed to transport proteins. The most important of these are:

  • albumins,
  • globulins,
  • transthyretin.

The main functions of the hormone are:

  • Catabolic. It helps to convert fat and glucose molecules into energy.
  • Support for adequate metabolism.
  • Regulation of proper growth and development of bone tissue and parenchyma of internal organs.
  • Activation of the central nervous system.

Separately it is worth talking about the effect of this biological substance on the body of women who bear the fetus. T4 free during pregnancy has the property to interact with steroid hormones and ensure normal functioning of the gland in conditions of increased energy consumption. If its indices are significantly lower than the norm in any of the trimesters, then this may indicate the development of hypothyroidism. It is necessary to diagnose the disease in time and start the appropriate treatment.

Indicators T4

It is important to understand that the functioning of the thyroid gland is affected by many factors that may cause a lowered level of certain thyroid hormones. The most important factors remain:

Pregnancy

  1. the age of the woman,
  2. the phase of the menstrual cycle,
  3. pregnancy( the 2nd and 3rd trimester are characterized by changes in the thyroxine norm),
  4. medication intake,
  5. environment,
  6. diet.

It is very important to correctly assess the deviation of hormone levels from normal. Often, if T4 is lowered, it does not mean that you need to panic. This happens when the body reacts to a certain stimulus. They can perform a fetus in the womb of a woman.

In the absence of pregnancy, the norm is considered to be 11-21 pmol / l. However, one must understand that different laboratories unequally determine its concentration in the blood. This can lead to the fact that in a person in different institutions, the result of the analysis may be higher or lower than that in another place. It is best to undergo a survey in one laboratory to prevent diagnostic errors.

T4 and pregnancy

Pregnancy

If to speak about a thyroxine in the period of gestation, then its norm directly depends on the term in which the woman resides:

  • For the first three months the organism of the future mother is just beginning to be reconstructed under new conditions of existence. In this period, T4 rarely falls below the usual values.
  • The second trimester is characterized by a decrease in the lower limit of the normal index to 9.5 pmol / l. The upper limit is 18-19 pmol / l.
  • In the third trimester, this indicator falls even further and ranges from 8.2 to 17 pmol / l.

During pregnancy, the body of a woman begins to release significantly more sex steroid hormones( mainly progesterone), which increase the activity of the thyroid gland. However, in parallel, the number of transport proteins in the blood that bind free T4 increases. That is why thyroxine during pregnancy is usually below the standard values.

What is the danger of changing the indicators?

If thyroid hormones are significantly lower or higher than normal during pregnancy( 1-3 trimesters), then active measures should be taken to restore the endocrine balance. The thing is that the thyroid gland directly affects the condition of the mother and fetus. Hypothyroidism( when T4 or T3 is lowered) is manifested by the inadequacy of providing the baby with important substances and minerals. As a result, a premature baby may be born or with a delay in physical development.

Excessive increase in the amount of thyroid hormones leads to a worsening of the mother's condition. She does not sleep well, actively loses weight, which is extremely undesirable when carrying a baby. Physiological weight gain in pregnancy should not be less than 8-10 kg. In the state of hyperthyroidism, the body is depleted and all its protective systems are weakened. In addition, we must not forget about the significantly exacerbated emotional lability, which, therefore, is inherent due to the effects of sex hormones.

In any case, changes in normal performance should be diagnosed and corrected.

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