There are three treasures for hyperthyroidism treatment: drugs, surgery and iodine 131. Iodine 131 is radioactive iodine treatment.
Which situations will be treated with iodine 131?
1. Hyperthyroidism
Because drug therapy has many side effects, a long course of treatment and a relatively high risk of surgical treatment, many hyperthyroidism friends will choose iodine 131 therapy.
2. Thyroid cancer
Some patients after thyroid cancer surgery need iodine 131 to remove the residual cancer cells.
Generally, doctors will inform patients in advance that hyperthyroidism will be treated with iodine 131 and will become pregnant after 6 months. Thyroid cancer treated with iodine 131 was pregnant one year later.
Why does it take so long to get pregnant?
1. Iodine 131 is radioactive
Iodine 131 is a radioactive element that may affect the growth and development of the fetus.
However, after about 40 days, the radioactivity of iodine 131 in the body can basically disappear.
Therefore, it is very safe to get pregnant after 6 months.
The dose of iodine 131 required for the treatment of thyroid cancer is much larger than that for the treatment of hyperthyroidism, so it is generally recommended to conceive again after one year.
2. Both hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism affect pregnancy
After iodine 131 treatment, hyperthyroidism cannot improve immediately, and it will take months to gradually return to normal.
In addition, some hyperthyroidism patients will suffer from hypothyroidism within a few months after iodine 131 treatment, which requires a period of levothyroxine treatment to gradually improve.
Patients with thyroid cancer treated with iodine 131 have completely lost thyroid function and need to take levothyroxine for a period of time to control thyroid function stably.
If hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism are pregnant before they are well controlled, it will affect both pregnant women and fetuses, and may lead to abortion, hypertension complicating pregnancy, anemia, heart failure, fetal death, premature delivery, postpartum hemorrhage, low birth weight infants, etc.
Generally, after 6 months to 1 year of drug adjustment, thyroid function is stable, which will not affect pregnancy.
Have any pregnant women received iodine 131 treatment?
Yes. Either because the pregnancy test went wrong or because the doctor neglected, some pregnant women also received iodine 131 treatment by mistake. However, this kind of situation is very rare.
So does their baby have sequelae?
- Most babies are normal after birth and thyroid function is normal. Most babies do not have other abnormalities caused by radiation. Some pregnant women will have spontaneous abortion, but whether it is related to iodine 131 is unclear.
What should I do if I am pregnant in advance?
Returning to the question mentioned in the title of the article. What if iodine 131 is unexpectedly pregnant less than 6 months after treatment (thyroid cancer patients are 1 year)?
After the above analysis, it is not difficult to see that if you choose to leave your baby:
- It may not cause sequelae to the baby, but it may spontaneously miscarry. Hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism may occur during pregnancy, while abortion, hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy, anemia, heart failure, fetal death, premature delivery, postpartum hemorrhage, low birth weight infants, etc.
If you choose to shed your baby:
-
Maybe a healthy baby will disappear from the world.
For every pregnant mother, whether the baby stays or flows away is undoubtedly a dilemma.
Even if you consult a doctor, it is difficult to get a clear answer, because there is still a lack of sufficient research data in medicine.
Perhaps the doctor will help the pregnant mother analyze the pros and cons, but in the end it is up to her to make her own decision. Whether she chooses to continue the pregnancy or miscarry, the doctor will respect the pregnant woman’s own choice.
The best way is to avoid pregnancy
Therefore, the best way is to take contraceptive measures to avoid pregnancy within the first 6 months (1 year for thyroid cancer patients) after iodine 131 treatment.
In addition, hyperthyroidism may lead to a reduction in the efficacy of contraceptives, so it is recommended to add condoms or intrauterine rings and other contraceptive measures.