TSH Is abnormal..Will it affect my baby?

[WorriedMom78]

I am 5 weeks pregnant- I have hypothyroid almost for 20 years ..It was normal when I try to conceive. No I am 5 weeks pregnant , when I tested , TSH is 7.2. T4 is normal.
I am so worried ...Will it affect my baby's brain development.

Please advise

[Barb135]

Adequate thyroid hormones are essential for the proper growth and development of a fetus.  You should get your doctor to test Free T3 and Free T4, as those are the actual thyroid hormones.  

[ahmee]

I was going to say I didn't know what the exact effects would be on a baby whose mother is hypothyroid, but then I came across this very recent study:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24015847

"Conclusion: Early TH [thyroid hormone] insufficiency from maternal hypothyroidism affects offspring hippocampal development and memory."

[ahmee]

When you are pregnant, your body demands more thyroid hormone. Are you on any thyroid medication at the moment? It seems you will need to raise your dose. Are you experiencing any symptoms of hypothyroidism?

The TSH number is far outside the normal range of .3-3. Unfortunately, TSH is not a specific enough indicator of thyroid hormone levels for us to see the whole picture of what is going on. If possible, request Free T3 and Free T4 labs to see the actual levels of usable thyroid hormone circulating in the blood. Then please post your results with ranges, as they vary from lab to lab. Do you have the number and ranges for the T4 test you referenced in your post as coming back normal? Post that as well, please. Keep in mind that just because a lab value is "in range" or "normal" does not mean the levels are optimal.