Pregnancy Hypothyroidism
The Risks of Pregnancy: The Presence of Scleroderma and Hypothyroidism
The decision for a woman to become pregnant comes inherently with a number of health considerations which must first be taken. The presence of chronic, preexistent or medicated conditions may dictate complication or difficulty in conceiving, carrying to term or giving a healthy birth. This is why any such conditions must be carefully investigated if one has decided to become pregnant. So is this the case with the subject of this study. My sister, whose name will be the anonymous Jane Doe for the purposes or our discussion, agreed to an interview on the subject of her existing health conditions and their relationship to her desire to become pregnant. As an individual who suffers both from hypothyroidism and scleroderma, it is crucial for her to consider the relationship between these conditions and the practical medical concerns that these raise in reference to the condition of pregnancy.
The issue of her scleroderma does elicit some immediate cause for consideration. According to her own report, the condition is limited to her lungs and its severity is only modest. Additionally, as she was diagnosed with this condition well over five years ago, the likelihood of complication is much lower than it would be if she was just adjusting to the condition. As the source by Dunkin (2009) contends, “no woman with scleroderma should attempt to get pregnant within three years of diagnosis, because complications of that disease, including hypertension and kidney damage, are likely to show up within the first three years of the disease and could complicate a pregnancy.” (Dunkin, 1)
As Jane’s diagnosis was given over five years ago, all evidence is to suggest that no new complications are at this juncture to be expected. With respect to the nature of the condition itself, there is no indication that its presence would cause difficulty or danger in carrying a child to term. However, there are other aspects of the condition which do present a legitimate problem that my sister may soon encounter in her own pursuits. Namely, as is the case with most chronic medical conditions, her scelorderma is medicated as a way of treating the autoimmune deficiencies which are a typical part of the condition.
Jane has been using cyclophosphamide in treatment of the autoimmune aspects of her condition according to her own report. Further research denotes that this could pose a complication in the process of becoming pregnant. As the Dunkin source reports, “if fertility is a problem, drugs — rather than the disease itself — are likely to be responsible. The biggest offender is cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan), an immunosuppressive drug given for severe autoimmune disease.” (Dunkin, 1) For many women, this prompts the decision to be removed from the treatment of certain drugs while trying to become pregnant. However, this can come with its own side-effects, most particularly in the intensification of symptoms of the condition and in the vulnerability of the immune system during this most crucial time for both the mother and the unborn infant.
If in spite of these risks, Jane determines to follow through in the interest of becoming pregnant, she may have to accept a change in her medication routine, which can bring about some dramatic changes to the body. Already, Jane has begun to change other lifestyle habits in preparation for the effort to conceive. She indicates an awareness of many of the general health demands which enter into pregnancy consistent with our research findings. These command that “for any woman, the first trimester is a critical period when the baby’s vital organs are forming and when medications and lifestyle habits (such as smoking, drinking, diet and drug use) can affect that development.” (Dunkin, 1) This accounts for the fact that Jane has ceased smoking in preparation for the presence of an unborn child in her system. Such preparations are to be considered necessary even in the otherwise healthy individual.
For Jane, this effort will require further lifestyle and health habit changes though as a way of accommodating for pre-existent medical conditions. To the point, with the hypothyroidism which afflicts her, Jane must be prepared not just to undergo the regular doctor visits that are part of the pregnancy process. In addition, she must engage regular thyroid function checkups to ensure that the standard regimen of treatment for this condition remains effective. In this case, the hormone replacement therapy that is the traditional method of treatment is one which absolutely must be continued to the benefit and survival of the unborn child. As the article by Shomon (2006) indicates, “you must continue to take your thyroid hormone replacement (i.e., Synthroid, Levoxyl, Levothroid, Armour, Thyrolar) and it’s extremely important that you do, now and throughout the rest of your pregnancy. You are your baby’s only source of thyroid hormones at this point – your baby’s thyroid gland isn’t fully functional until after 12 weeks of pregnancy. If you don’t have sufficient thyroid hormones, you are at an increased risk of miscarriage, and your baby is at increased risk of developmental problems.” (Shomon, 1)
Jane indicated in her interview with me that she has established a fair amount of knowledge in the subject herself and that she believes in spite of some of the risks, there is significant precedent to suggest that her condition of hypothyroidism should not prevent her from procreating. Instead, her views were reinforced by present research which indicates that though non-producing thyroid glands can lead to developmental, intellectual and physiological abnormalities in the unborn child, the presence of continued and proper thyroid treatment tends to diminish if not eliminate these present dangers.
Without proper treatment though, evidence suggests that the risks are considerable. Indeed, Mathur (2005) reports that “there is a relationship between thyroid levels in the mother and brain development of her child. A large study reported in 1999 found that undetected or inadequately treated hypothyroidism in mothers was associated with IQ changes in the infants of these women.” (Mathur, 1) The danger of developmental delay for children who are not receiving the proper prenatal balance of iodine distributed by proper thyroid function is real. For my sister, this essentially means that her current treatment regimen must be continued and monitored. Evidence suggests that the dangers presented typically impact those in nations, regions or personal circumstances which have prevented proper treatment. With the presence of such, the risks are considerably diminished.
That said, we consider the relevance of the discussed conditions here to delivery itself. Returning to the issue of scleroderma, there are a few matters to be taken into consideration which, though non-threatening to the child or mother’s health, are still realities of concern. In our discussion, my sister indicated that in spite of her conditions, she would like to give birth naturally. However, indications are that “reduced flexibility of the neck of the womb or vagina, which may complicate the delivery, also needs to be taken into account.” (Walravens, 1) That means that she might have to prepare for the likelihood of C-Section in the event of unnecessary delivery difficulty. Beyond this, Walravens (2008) also reports that children born to mother’s with scleroderma are most typically delivered with low birth weight, but not to an extent that is health-jeopardizing.
The basic outcome of the interview and accumulated research is that Jane can safely attempt pregnancy provided she retains the following conditions. First and foremost, her smoking cessation must continue unabated. Additionally, as she prepares for conception, she must be prepared for the challenges produced by her scleroderma drug regimen, which could be an obstacle to pregnancy. Beyond this, continued attention to the thyroid and unabated commitment to hormone therapy should account for a smooth and healthy pregnancy.
Works Cited:
Dunkin, M.A. (2009). Doctor Says Newly Diagnosed Scleroderma Patients Should Avoid Pregnancy For Three Years. Scleroderma Foundation. Online at http://www.scleroderma.org/medical/other_articles/Dunkin_2006.shtm
EHealthMD. (2004). Hypothyroidism and Pregnancy. Medical Illustrations Copyright.
Online at http://www.ehealthmd.com/library/hypothyroidism/HYO_pregnancy.html
Mathur, R. (2005). Hypothyroidism During Pregnancy. MedicineNet.com
Shomon, M. (2006). Thyroid Guide to Fertility, Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Success. Thyroid-Info. Online at http://www.thyroid-info.com/articles/pregnancy.htm
Walravens, M. (2008). Scleroderma. Chronic Inflammatory Connective Tissue Diseases. Online at http://www.cibliga.com/en/index.html
Get Professional Assignment Help Cheaply
Are you busy and do not have time to handle your assignment? Are you scared that your paper will not make the grade? Do you have responsibilities that may hinder you from turning in your assignment on time? Are you tired and can barely handle your assignment? Are your grades inconsistent?
Whichever your reason is, it is valid! You can get professional academic help from our service at affordable rates. We have a team of professional academic writers who can handle all your assignments.
Why Choose Our Academic Writing Service?
- Plagiarism free papers
- Timely delivery
- Any deadline
- Skilled, Experienced Native English Writers
- Subject-relevant academic writer
- Adherence to paper instructions
- Ability to tackle bulk assignments
- Reasonable prices
- 24/7 Customer Support
- Get superb grades consistently
Online Academic Help With Different Subjects
Literature
Students barely have time to read. We got you! Have your literature essay or book review written without having the hassle of reading the book. You can get your literature paper custom-written for you by our literature specialists.
Finance
Do you struggle with finance? No need to torture yourself if finance is not your cup of tea. You can order your finance paper from our academic writing service and get 100% original work from competent finance experts.
Computer science
Computer science is a tough subject. Fortunately, our computer science experts are up to the match. No need to stress and have sleepless nights. Our academic writers will tackle all your computer science assignments and deliver them on time. Let us handle all your python, java, ruby, JavaScript, php , C+ assignments!
Psychology
While psychology may be an interesting subject, you may lack sufficient time to handle your assignments. Don’t despair; by using our academic writing service, you can be assured of perfect grades. Moreover, your grades will be consistent.
Engineering
Engineering is quite a demanding subject. Students face a lot of pressure and barely have enough time to do what they love to do. Our academic writing service got you covered! Our engineering specialists follow the paper instructions and ensure timely delivery of the paper.
Nursing
In the nursing course, you may have difficulties with literature reviews, annotated bibliographies, critical essays, and other assignments. Our nursing assignment writers will offer you professional nursing paper help at low prices.
Sociology
Truth be told, sociology papers can be quite exhausting. Our academic writing service relieves you of fatigue, pressure, and stress. You can relax and have peace of mind as our academic writers handle your sociology assignment.
Business
We take pride in having some of the best business writers in the industry. Our business writers have a lot of experience in the field. They are reliable, and you can be assured of a high-grade paper. They are able to handle business papers of any subject, length, deadline, and difficulty!
Statistics
We boast of having some of the most experienced statistics experts in the industry. Our statistics experts have diverse skills, expertise, and knowledge to handle any kind of assignment. They have access to all kinds of software to get your assignment done.
Law
Writing a law essay may prove to be an insurmountable obstacle, especially when you need to know the peculiarities of the legislative framework. Take advantage of our top-notch law specialists and get superb grades and 100% satisfaction.
What discipline/subjects do you deal in?
We have highlighted some of the most popular subjects we handle above. Those are just a tip of the iceberg. We deal in all academic disciplines since our writers are as diverse. They have been drawn from across all disciplines, and orders are assigned to those writers believed to be the best in the field. In a nutshell, there is no task we cannot handle; all you need to do is place your order with us. As long as your instructions are clear, just trust we shall deliver irrespective of the discipline.
Are your writers competent enough to handle my paper?
Our essay writers are graduates with bachelor's, masters, Ph.D., and doctorate degrees in various subjects. The minimum requirement to be an essay writer with our essay writing service is to have a college degree. All our academic writers have a minimum of two years of academic writing. We have a stringent recruitment process to ensure that we get only the most competent essay writers in the industry. We also ensure that the writers are handsomely compensated for their value. The majority of our writers are native English speakers. As such, the fluency of language and grammar is impeccable.
What if I don’t like the paper?
There is a very low likelihood that you won’t like the paper.
Reasons being:
- When assigning your order, we match the paper’s discipline with the writer’s field/specialization. Since all our writers are graduates, we match the paper’s subject with the field the writer studied. For instance, if it’s a nursing paper, only a nursing graduate and writer will handle it. Furthermore, all our writers have academic writing experience and top-notch research skills.
- We have a quality assurance that reviews the paper before it gets to you. As such, we ensure that you get a paper that meets the required standard and will most definitely make the grade.
In the event that you don’t like your paper:
- The writer will revise the paper up to your pleasing. You have unlimited revisions. You simply need to highlight what specifically you don’t like about the paper, and the writer will make the amendments. The paper will be revised until you are satisfied. Revisions are free of charge
- We will have a different writer write the paper from scratch.
- Last resort, if the above does not work, we will refund your money.
Will the professor find out I didn’t write the paper myself?
Not at all. All papers are written from scratch. There is no way your tutor or instructor will realize that you did not write the paper yourself. In fact, we recommend using our assignment help services for consistent results.
What if the paper is plagiarized?
We check all papers for plagiarism before we submit them. We use powerful plagiarism checking software such as SafeAssign, LopesWrite, and Turnitin. We also upload the plagiarism report so that you can review it. We understand that plagiarism is academic suicide. We would not take the risk of submitting plagiarized work and jeopardize your academic journey. Furthermore, we do not sell or use prewritten papers, and each paper is written from scratch.
When will I get my paper?
You determine when you get the paper by setting the deadline when placing the order. All papers are delivered within the deadline. We are well aware that we operate in a time-sensitive industry. As such, we have laid out strategies to ensure that the client receives the paper on time and they never miss the deadline. We understand that papers that are submitted late have some points deducted. We do not want you to miss any points due to late submission. We work on beating deadlines by huge margins in order to ensure that you have ample time to review the paper before you submit it.
Will anyone find out that I used your services?
We have a privacy and confidentiality policy that guides our work. We NEVER share any customer information with third parties. Noone will ever know that you used our assignment help services. It’s only between you and us. We are bound by our policies to protect the customer’s identity and information. All your information, such as your names, phone number, email, order information, and so on, are protected. We have robust security systems that ensure that your data is protected. Hacking our systems is close to impossible, and it has never happened.
How our Assignment Help Service Works
1. Place an order
You fill all the paper instructions in the order form. Make sure you include all the helpful materials so that our academic writers can deliver the perfect paper. It will also help to eliminate unnecessary revisions.
2. Pay for the order
Proceed to pay for the paper so that it can be assigned to one of our expert academic writers. The paper subject is matched with the writer’s area of specialization.
3. Track the progress
You communicate with the writer and know about the progress of the paper. The client can ask the writer for drafts of the paper. The client can upload extra material and include additional instructions from the lecturer. Receive a paper.
4. Download the paper
The paper is sent to your email and uploaded to your personal account. You also get a plagiarism report attached to your paper.
PLACE THIS ORDER OR A SIMILAR ORDER WITH US TODAY AND GET A PERFECT SCORE!!!
