Your viewing articles about; thyroid disease

Preeclampsia Linked to Reduced Thyroid Function

New research reveals that women who develop preeclampsia during pregnancy are at higher risk of reduced thyroid function later in life.

Preeclampsia is a condition which sometimes develops in the second half of pregnancy, leading to extremely high blood pressure for some women.  While specific causes are not known, it is believed that high levels of proteins in the pregnant woman’s body might be a contributing factor.

The new research findings were published in the November 18 online edition of BMJ.  The American and Norwegian researchers studied two groups of women, those who developed preeclampsia and those who didn’t.

The American study compared 140 healthy pregnant women who developed preeclampsia with 140 women who did not.  The women who had preeclampsia had double the levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone as those who did not develop the preeclampsia condition.

In Norway, the study involved many more women for a longer period of time.  This study followed 7,121 pregnant women for about 20 years.  The findings showed that the risk of higher concentrations of the thyroid hormone were increased for women who had preeclampsia during their pregnancies, especially if it developed in two pregnancies.

Researchers recommend that doctors follow these patients closely, monitoring heart and kidney disease, as well as thyroid disease.

         

Welcome back! If you love Baby Chums, please subscribe to our RSS feed.
Thanks for dropping by and enjoy!

---

Baby Formula Found To Contain Same Chemicals As Rocket Fuel

Parents may be surprised to hear that the same chemical found in fireworks and rockets has been discovered in baby formula brands.

Perchlorate is an oxidizer in solid fuels, it is found in explosives such as fireworks, flares and rockets.

The study, carried out by scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, found that 15 unnamed makes of powdered baby formula were contaminated with perchlorate. None of the products mentioned the chemical on their labels.

The chemical has been linked to thyroid disease, and may interfere with fetal and child brain development. The thyroid acts as a thermostat in the body, when it is damaged, it is prevented from taking iodine sufficiently. This then hinders it’s effectiveness to carry out a variety of essential functions.

Lactose-free formulas, or soy-based products were found to contain lower levels of Perchlorate than in those comprised from cow’s milk.

The two most contaminated brands were used by almost 90 percent of the US baby formula market in 2000.

Perchlorate has been found in the drinking water of 28 states in America, and there have been calls to monitor the chemical more effectively.

For the study, published last month in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, perchlorate-free water was used to mix up the formulas.

Parents have been advised by the Environmental Protection Agency to make sure that their babies eat a diet containing iodine, which will help to protect them from the chemical. Mixing with water not contaminated with perchlorate will also help to lower the amount of the chemical the baby will consume.

As the study did not measure the amount of perchlorate in babies, it is unknown how much of the chemical is absorbed by infants.