Posted: 3/4/2005
Dr. Taliadouros Speaks at New SJH Medical Center in Vineland
George S. Taliadouros, MD, FACOG, an expert in infertility and founder of the Delaware Valley Institute of Fertility & Genetics (DVIF&G;) in Marlton, Lawrenceville, and Vineland, shared his findings of the literature review on “Treating Hypothyroidism in Pregnancy” in April at the new South Jersey Healthcare (SJH) Regional Medical Center in Vineland.

A common endocrine disorder, hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland produces too little hormone to function properly. Common symptoms of the condition include weight gain, constipation, and mental and physical fatigue. Since many of the symptoms are often confused with hormonal changes from premenstrual syndrome or depression, the condition can often go undetected. If it’s not detected and treated early during pregnancy, hypothyroidism can lead to mental retardation and other cognitive problems in newborns.

“That’s why screening, early testing, and proper treatment is necessary,” says Dr. Taliadouros. “Treating pregnant women with hypothyroidism in specific ways is imperative to safeguard the proper development of the fetus.”

According to his literature review, any woman of reproductive age who has a family history of thyroid disease or an autoimmune disease such as diabetes mellitus type 1 or lupus should be screened for hypothyroidism and all pregnant women should be screened for the condition.

Dr. Taliadouros compares the screening to that for high cholesterol or high blood pressure.

“You don’t know that you have these conditions unless you’re screened for them. It’s the same with hypothyrodism. You may feel fine and you may be fine, but your baby will not. If you have hypothyroidism and don’t know it, your baby may end up in Special Education classes. There are many factors that pregnant women cannot control, but they can control this. There’s no reason for any baby to be born without thyroid hormone,” he says. “If you haven’t been screened, then ask your doctor to screen for the condition immediately. If you don’t get the treatment that you need, your child will be born with irreversible cognitive damage.”

Hypothyroidism can be made worse from a lack of iodine in the diet. Some 15 percent of American women do not take in the RDA of iodine, which is easily obtained by eating bread fortified with sodium and taking a prenatal vitamin.

A resident of Voorhees, NJ, Dr. Taliadouros also is an Assistant Professor in the OB/GYN department at the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, and a member of the OB/GYN staff at Virtua Health System and South Jersey Health System.