Kajol pitches in to make people aware of the dangers of thyroid dysfunction Pregnant women most vulnerable

On World Thyroid Day, the Indian Thyroid Society and Abbott India Limited join hands to drive up awareness in India in public interest

May 18, 2010: Today’s message from The Indian Thyroid Society and Abbott India Limited is that untreated thyroid disorders are very common and it is estimated that 4.2 crore Indians are suffering from thyroid disorders with almost 90% undiagnosed*. The Indian Thyroid Society and Abbott India Limited are committed to making doctors and the general public focus on early diagnosis and treatment. They would like to persuade every adult in India to go for a regular thyroid check up. Often people suffer from a variety of ailments completely unaware that these could be linked to thyroid dysfunction.

In particular, The Indian Thyroid Society and Abbott India Limited would like to urge pregnant women to undergo frequent thyroid function test during pregnancy since thyroid dysfunction affects the mother and the developing fetus.

This year, Kajol joins hands with Abbott India Limited to create public awareness for Thyroid disorders. Kajol says- “Most Indian women are unaware of the symptoms and impact of thyroid disorders. I urge them to undergo thyroid tests to ensure a healthy life. Let us all come together to raise awareness of the thyroid disorder symptoms so that women are empowered to take timely medical advice. Above all, expectant mothers should mandatorily go for thyroid tests as thyroid disorder during pregnancy may lead to lower child IQ. Think Thyroid Think Life. ”

Uncontrolled hormone levels during pregnancy cause congestive heart failure, preeclampsia, anaemia, spontaneous abortion, miscarriage, low birth weight, stillbirth, lower child IQ. Postpartum thyroiditis, an inflammation of the Thyroid appears 1-8 months after giving birth and affects about 8% of women. Additionally, Iodine deficiency in a pregnant woman can cause a congenital abnormality in the child, known as cretinism, a congenital, serious, irreversible condition with severe cognitive and mental disability, resulting in growth retardation and developmental delay.

Professor R V Jayakumar, President of The Indian Thyroid Society said, "People are struggling with obesity, depression, infertility, menopausal symptoms, low libido, high cholesterol, osteoporosis, and many other issues, and yet the majority of Indians have never had a thorough thyroid checkup. If properly informed, diagnosed and treated, these people would feel and live lively life, because they will discover that their symptoms were actually due to overlooked and untreated thyroid problems all along. Even with the efforts in the past decade, we still have a long way to go in terms of thyroid awareness.”

“As part of a pre cautionary measure, women should check their TSH level as soon as pregnancy has confirmed,” added R V Jayakumar. In a run up to this day the Indian Thyroid Society (ITS) and Abbott India Limited will organize various awareness activities with healthcare professionals, who are experts in the field of thyroid and other thyroid related issues, in metros & Tier-I cities across India.