Causes of Postpartum Thyroiditis

Postpartum thyroiditis is a medical condition in which the thyroid swells up in women after they have delivered a baby. Postpartum thyroidism is usually caused by anti-thyroid antibodies that cause harm to the thyroid gland and cause it to swell. While it is common for women to feel tired, go through bouts of mood swings and show up a variety of symptoms post childbirth, these may also be a sign of thyroiditis.Researchers have not been able to find a specific reason as to why the thyroid gland inflames in a woman after she has delivered, though there is a certainty that the antithyroid antibodies present in the bloodstream of women is a likely cause of postpartum thyroiditis. This was found when recently delivered women with postpartum thyroiditis were made a part of the research. There is a chance that the disease is an autoimmune disease. When a person has an autoimmune disease, his/her body’s immune system identifies the healthy cells as invaders and ends up producing antibodies to attach these healthy cells. The chances of developing postpartum thyroiditis post pregnancy is especially elated because the immune system of a pregnant woman is suppressed during pregnancy for all the parts of the body’s systems work towards preparing for the growth and development of the foetus.It is after delivery that the immune system gets back to its active self and produces antibodies to attack the cells in the thyroid gland in the assumption that they are bad for the body.It has been found that about 30 per cent and 50 per cent of women who had had TPOab in their bloodstream during the first trimester of pregnancy developed postpartum thyroiditis. TPOab is found in women who suffer from Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Type 1 Diabetes and Graves’ disease. Several researches have shown that those women who have type 1 diabetes are especially at a risk of developing postpartum thyroiditis. Although, the cause of developing thyroiditis has been put on the presence of TPOab in the bloodstream, the researchers have also established the likelihood of developing postpartum thyroiditis even in the absence of the anti-thyroid antibodies. Therefore, the researchers pin point at the possible existence of other potential causes of postpartum thyroiditis and there needs to be more research to be done on finding the causes of postpartum thyroiditis.It would always be better to consult a doctor whenever there is a discomfort in the thyroid gland.