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Causes and Treatments of Auto-Immune Related Pregnancy Loss

February 9, 2013

Our bodies contain genes called Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) genes which help the immune system to distinguish between the body’s own proteins and proteins of a virus or bacteria. When a foreign protein is detected, our immune system kicks in to defend us, as in the instance of having a cold or the flu.

Some couples trying to conceive may be diagnosed with immunologic incompatibility, or allogeneic issues, which are detrimental to their fertility. Genes from both of the parents that are passed on to their growing embryo may not properly communicate to the mother’s immune system and her body may mistake the embryo as a foreign invader. As a result, the embryo may not implant or may miscarry.

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Blood-Clotting Disorders: How They Affect Your Ability to Get Pregnant

Normally, a small cut on a blood vessel wall causes the body to form a blood clot to seal it and stop the bleeding. However, some people form blood clots too easily. If you tend toward excessive blood clotting or if the clots don’t dissolve properly, you’re said to have a blood-clotting disorder.

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Celiac Disease May Cause Infertility, Miscarriage

Celiac Central,  Nov 8, 2012

A study conducted by Thomas Jefferson University's Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, presented at the 2012 American College of Gastroenterology meeting shows women with celiac disease have greater fertility and pregnancy complications, like miscarriage, than those without the disease.

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Immune System and Fertility

Your immune system protects you against infectious organisms and other things that cause disease, but sometimes your immune system is mistaken . Immune testing is a type of diagnostic test that may help uncover the cause of your infertility or recurring pregnancy loss and increase your chance of a successful pregnancy.

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Mom's Thyroid Rx Has No Effect on Kid's IQ

MedPage Today,  Feb 8, 2012

Screening pregnant women for low thyroid hormone levels in the first trimester — and treating accordingly — does not impact a child's IQ at age 3, a randomized trial showed. The average IQ was 99.2 among children whose mothers were treated for low thyroid hormone levels and 100.0 for those whose mothers were not treated (P=0.40), according to John Lazarus, MD, of Cardiff University in Wales, and colleagues.

Read more.

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Thyroid Function and Your Fertility

By Leigh Ann Woodruff, February 6, 2012

If you are experiencing menstrual irregularities and trying to get pregnant, it is a good idea to have your thyroid tested. An underactive or overactive thyroid could be at the root of your fertility issues.

It is somewhat difficult to determine whether the thyroid is exclusively the cause of infertility, because infertility is often caused by a combination of factors, according to Susan L. Treiser, M.D., a reproductive endocrinologist with IVF New Jersey, part of the Attain Fertility Center Network. "But I would say probably as frequently as 20 percent of the time, you'll see some sort of abnormality with thyroid function in patients who are trying to conceive," she says.

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The Secret Immune Disorder That Destroys Fertility

MSN Health,  Feb 2, 2011
The thyroid's role in your fertility

If you place your fingers gently around the base of your throat, you will find your thyroid—a small, butterfly-shaped gland that quietly lies near the bottom of your windpipe.

As silent as it may be, however, the thyroid plays a very important role in not only your fertility but also your overall health. Primarily, it secretes the hormones thyroxine (T4) and triodothyronine (T3). Together, they direct many metabolic functions, including some involved in the production of fertility hormones.

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Your Thyroid — The New Normal

a blog by Serena H. Chen, M.D., IRMS Reproductive Medicine at Saint Barnabas, January 31, 2012

How do you know what is “normal”? In medicine, “normal” can be defined in many different ways. For many lab values, “normal” is defined by the general population. What values do most people have for this particular lab test? A common criteria is to see what value do 95 percent of people have for this particular lab value? If you are outside the 95th percentile, then your lab value is “abnormal.” But what population do you choose? What if a lot of people in your population are actually abnormal?

Blood Clotting Disorders

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How they can affect your ability to get pregnant

Normally, a small cut on a blood vessel wall causes the body to form a blood clot to seal it and stop the bleeding. However, some people form blood clots too easily. If you tend toward excessive blood clotting or if the clots don’t dissolve properly, you’re said to have a blood-clotting disorder.

Several things can alter the body’s normal blood clotting process. For example, smoking, plaque on the inside of the arteries (atherosclerosis), and birth control pills can increase the risk of excessive blood clots.

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Understanding the Thyroid/Fertility Connection

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If you are TTC, have your thyroid checked!

a blog by guest blogger Breea Johnson, MS RD LDN, Pulling Down the Moon Nutritionist

When someone is dealing with infertility, they often scour the world for answers. Many women never figure out why they have unexplained infertility or experienced a miscarriage. But for others, the answer may lie in a simple blood test to measure thyroid function as low thyroid function and thyroid autoimmunity are both associated with infertility and miscarriage.

Consider Ann*, a 32-year old, normal weight woman who had two miscarriages with no explanation. After going to a miscarriage specialist, she was found to have hypothyroidism (low thyroid function) and with thyroid medication was successfully able to get pregnant and carry the baby to full term.

The thyroid gland, one of the largest endocrine glands in the body, is shaped like a butterfly and is located on the front of the neck below the Adam’s apple. While it is very small (only 2 inches across), it affects our entire body, as the hormones it produces and secretes regulate metabolism, growth and development.

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