<a title="Thyroid Foundation of Canada" href="http://www.thyroid.ca/" target="_blank">The Thyroid Foundation of Canada</a> recommends all women get screened for thyroid disorders BEFORE pregnancy.  I agree for a whole lot of reasons besides just overall health and symptom relief - here are some of the pregnancy-specific reasons I would <strong>INSIST</strong> on proper thyroid screening <strong>before</strong> pregnancy:

1) thyroid disorders can become <strong>exacerbated during pregnancy</strong>

2) <strong>miscarriage and infertility</strong> have been linked to thyroid disorders

3) the developing <strong>baby relies solely on the mother's thyroid function for the first 10 - 12 weeks</strong> when it begins to produce it's own thyroid hormone

3) <strong>thyroid-autism connection</strong> - yes I've been reading a lot lately about a possible connection.  The rates of autism are sky-rocketing and some researchers are questioning whether maternal thyroid disorders could be playing a role.  <a title="Thyroid-Autism Connection" href="http://raphaelkellmanmd.com/health-issues-we-treat/the-thyroid-autism-connection/" target="_blank">Dr. Raphael Kellman's article</a> is a good place to start if you want to learn more.
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>In North America there is no such thing as universal screening for pregnant mothers.  This NEEDS to change! </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">In the meantime - ADVOCATE for yourself and INSIST on screening. If your doctor says no then be prepared to tell him/her about your research.  Take in a list of why you believe in pre-pregnancy screening. Learn about the 300+ symptoms.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">It's your body - It's your baby!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">If he/she won't do a full thyroid panel then find another doctor who will.</p>
Dr. Norman Wong believes ALL women should be screened before pregnancy - watch this video to find out more.

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