This talk will outline the different types of thyroid conditions which influence fertility including hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, autoimmune thyroid conditions such as Graves’ and Hashimoto’s, and thyroid nodules. The role of thyroid function in embryo and fetal growth will be discussed, including risks of miscarriage and developmental concerns. Nutritional factors in thyroid health including nutrients such as iodine, selenium, zinc, and vitamin D will be covered in great detail, particularly the controversial topic of the use of iodine in thyroid patients. Practitioners will gain an understanding of optimal thyroid function in pregnancy, and be able to apply these tools to fertility cases patients working in conjunction with other healthcare professionals.
Dr. Fiona McCulloch, the founder and owner of White Lotus Integrative Medicine in Toronto has worked with thousands of people seeking better health over the past 18 years of her practice. Fiona is a graduate of the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (2001) and the University of Guelph (Biological Science/Molecular Biology and Genetics). Fiona's book “8 Steps To Reverse Your PCOS” is a women’s health best seller and her blog has an avid readership of 10s of thousands per month. She supports the growth of evidence-based natural medicine and peer-reviews for Natural Standard, a popular database of evidence-based natural medicine. As a woman with PCOS herself, Fiona is passionate about health education and advocacy for women with the condition.
She serves on the medical advisory committee of the PCOS Awareness Association and is a featured speaker at many events within the PCOS and infertility communities. She is a medical advisor to and was the sole developer of the nutrition program for the Open Source Health MyAva precision medicine platform. The myAva PCOS project is the largest system to use state of the art genetic and molecular research, science, evidence-based integrative medicine and technology to help the growing underserved community of women with PCOS.