“The pituitary is the leader in the endocrine orchestra.”
— Walter Langdon-Brown
Pituitary in pregnancy
When you are pregnant, your pituitary gland swells in size. This is so that it can release the hormones needed to grow your baby.
It can double in size; imagine a pea becoming the size of a grape!
The pituitary may become over-enlarged due to an autoimmune reaction. This is known as Lymphocytic Hypophysitis. Cells cannot function as they should because the immune system attacks them.
The anterior pituitary is vulnerable to damage, particularly when it is enlarged in pregnancy. This is because it relies on blood flow through a narrow stalk from the hypothalamus.
Cells in the pituitary can become damaged and unable to function if they do not receive enough oxygenated blood. This might occur if you lose a lot of blood or have very low blood pressure. This means that the cells cannot perform their job of releasing hormones.
Postpartum Hypopituitarism is the medical term used to describe damage to the pituitary gland in or after childbirth, where there are hormone deficiencies. Sheehan’s Syndrome is another term used.
Scientists believe more research is needed to better understand why a pituitary gland may be damaged in pregnancy or childbirth. It is thought there may be many factors involved.
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