Is hypothyroidism hereditary?

Autoimmune diseases generally refer to thyroiditis, which will adversely affect the function of the thyroid gland, cause a sharp drop in thyroid hormone secretion, and cause some symptoms. This disease is often closely related to people's lives, such as excessive physical fatigue, colds and viral infections. So if a woman suffers from hypothyroidism, will it be passed on to the next generation?

Can hypothyroidism be passed down to the next generation?

Harm 1: Causes the baby's IQ to decline

Experts have determined that babies born to women with hypothyroidism are at increased risk for certain diseases, most notably intellectual and developmental problems. Many studies have shown that pregnant women with clinical hypothyroidism, subclinical hypothyroidism, low T4 blood or TPOAb positivity will have a significant increase in miscarriage and pregnancy complications, and cause fetal brain development disorders, leading to a 6-8 point decrease in the IQ of offspring.

It is currently believed that only by screening for hypothyroidism before or in early pregnancy and treating it early can the intellectual impairment of offspring be avoided. Therefore, caring about thyroid health, early diagnosis, and standardized use of levothyroxine treatment are crucial for both mother and child.

Harm 2: Increase the chance of birth defects in children

Although the research results that hypothyroidism can affect children's intellectual development are already very clear, the link between hypothyroidism and birth defects has only been confirmed in recent years, which is unexpected to many people. New research finds that women with thyroid disease are more likely to give birth to children with heart, kidney or brain abnormalities. This study from the United States shows that the proportion of babies born to mothers with thyroid diseases (including both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, with hypothyroidism being more common) who suffer from birth defects (brain, kidney, heart defects, cleft lip, cleft palate, polydactyly, etc.) is about 18%. In the general population, only about 3% of babies are born with birth defects. Therefore, for women with thyroid diseases such as hypothyroidism, it is best for their fetuses to undergo early examinations for birth defects such as heart defects.

Harm 3: Degrading women’s health

Hypothyroidism not only affects the next generation, but also has a great impact on the health of women themselves. Among the population, one in six women may suffer from hypothyroidism. In medical terms, the high-risk group for hypothyroidism is women over 35 years old. Since hypothyroidism may start with some mild symptoms in the early stages, women may gradually become listless and have physical dysfunction, and may even be unable to become pregnant and give birth normally in women of childbearing age. While new mothers have safely passed the pregnancy period and are enjoying the joy of being a mother for the first time, they face a higher risk of developing postpartum thyroiditis within one year after giving birth: about 7% of women experience abnormal thyroid function within 1 year after giving birth. If not detected and treated promptly, hypothyroidism will eventually greatly increase the patient's risk of myocardial infarction and renal failure, and even lead to cognitive impairment in the elderly.