Can hypothyroidism cause continued menses during pregnancy?

Q: I want to know if a woman has untreated hypothyroidism for years due to lack of knowledge of the disease and now she has become pregnant, would she miss her period after conception as a first sign of pregnancy like other normal pregnant women do? Or, does high TSH or hypothyroidism cause one to continue having periods during pregnancy for any reason?

A:Severe hypothyroidism can cause an ovulation and infertility but it does not interfere with with Beta HCG level and whenever a patient is pregnant, it will manifest as absence of menses like any other normal lady. Usually with hypothyroidism, a woman has prolonged cycles so one needs to check for pregnancy when she is overdue by her normal cycle length. In case your wife is severely hypothyroid, she needs to be treated and thyroid level should be brought to near normal range before conceiving as it has definite role in normal foetal development and growth.