Mumbai, May 24: She is four-month pregnant with her second child. But Bollywood actor Kajol has a mission in hand — to spread awareness on thyroid disorders.
With the theme for World Thyroid Day (May 25) being “Thyroid awareness during pregnancy”, the 34-year-old actor, appointed brand ambassador of Abbott India Ltd healthcare company, has been urging women to take thyroid tests so that they can get timely medical advice and avoid complications.
“Most Indian women are unaware of the symptoms and the impact of thyroid disorders. All expectant mothers should go for thyroid tests as thyroid disorders during pregnancy can lead to a lower IQ in the baby,” Kajol said in a statement.
Endocrinologists and gynaecologists in the city agree that more and more pregnant women in the 25-30 year age group have been detected with hypothyroidism. Around 10- 12 % of pregnant women are suffering from thyroid-related problems.
This is why several leading hospitals have made the thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test mandatory for pregnant women.
“The TSH test has not been made mandatory by medical bodies. However, in our hospital we have been conducting the test on all pregnant women,” said Dr Saifuddin Bandukwala, endocrinologist, Hiranandani Hospital, said.
He added that owing to the lack of awareness, majority of the pregnant women miss the test. They do not grow suspicious when they suddenly start gaining weight, feel tired, etc. They feel all this is common during pregnancy. “What they do not understand is this can lead to birth defects,” Bandukwala said.
Experts feel that a thyroid blood test is essential because many women are unable to conceive because of hypothyroidism.
“However, a simple TSH tests helps to prescribe the right medicines for women to be able to conceive,” Bandukwala said.
“Thyroid hormones are essential for the normal development of foetus’s brain,” gynaecologist Aarti Khandelwal said.
“This is because a foetus does not have a functioning thyroid gland until the sixth month of pregnancy. Till then, it is totally dependent on the mother’s thyroid hormone. Both low and excess thyroid hormones in the mother can adversely affect the foetus.”
One in every 2,500 new-born suffers from thyroid disorder. Several countries in the West have made screening newborns for thyroid mandatory. All babies born to mothers with thyroid problems should have thyroid hormone levels done on the seventh day of life.
—Agencies