Postpartum thyroiditis


Free

E-newsletter

Subscribe to Housecall

Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics.

Sign up now

Definition

By Mayo Clinic staff

Postpartum thyroiditis is an uncommon condition in which a previously normal-functioning thyroid gland — a butterfly-shaped gland located at the base of your neck just below your Adam's apple — becomes inflamed within the first year after childbirth.

Postpartum thyroiditis often lasts several weeks to several months. However, postpartum thyroiditis can be difficult to recognize because its symptoms are often mistakenly attributed to the stress of having a newborn and postpartum mood disorders.

For most women who develop postpartum thyroiditis, thyroid function returns to normal within 12 to 18 months of the start of symptoms. However, some women who experience postpartum thyroiditis develop permanent complications.

Symptoms
References
  1. Burman KD. Postpartum thyroiditis. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed May 29, 2013.
  2. Cunningham FG, et al. Williams Obstetrics. 23rd ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2010. http://www.accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=46. Accessed May 29, 2013.
  3. Todd CH. Management of thyroid disorders in primary care: Challenges and controversies. Postgraduate Medical Journal. 2009;85:655.
  4. De Groot L, et al. Management of thyroid dysfunction during pregnancy and postpartum: An Endocrine Society clinical practice guideline. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2012;97:2543.
  5. Stagnaro-Green A, et al. Guidelines of the American Thyroid Association for the diagnosis and management of thyroid disease during pregnancy and postpartum. Thyroid. 2011;21:1081.
  6. Stagnaro-Green A. Approach to the patient with postpartum thyroiditis. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2012;97:334.
  7. Hale TW. Medications and Mother's Milk 2012: A Manual of Lactational Pharmacology. 15th ed. Amarillo, Texas: Hale Publishing L.P.; 2012:673.
  8. Halter JB, et al. Hazzard's Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology. 6th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2009. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=5133014&searchStr=hyperthyroidism. Accessed June 4, 2013.
  9. Postpartum thyroiditis. The American Thyroid Association. http://www.thyroid.org/postpartum-thyroiditis/. Accessed June 4, 2013.
  10. Nippoldt TB (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. June 5, 2013.
DS01212 Aug. 20, 2013

© 1998-2013 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.com," "EmbodyHealth," "Enhance your life," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

  • Reprints
  • Print

  • Share on:

  • Email

Advertisement


Text Size: smaller largerlarger