Hypothyroidism in Early Pregnancy Linked to Motor Problems in Child

Thursday April 10, 2008

Thyroid hormone deficiencies in early pregnancy can cause developmental problems affecting a child's locomotion (body motion) abilities.

The animal studies were conducted by the Karolinksa Institute in Sweden, and evaluated the role of mother and child’s thyroid hormone in the child's proper locomotor development.

They found that hormone deficiencies during early pregnancy, when the mother is the only source of the hormone, produced locomotor disorders that persisted into adulthood and were not treatable.

The period in human gestation during which the fetus relies on the mother's thyroid production is typically the first trimester, approximately the first 13 weeks after conception.

At present, in Sweden, all newborn children are tested for hypothyroidism, but pregnant women do not receive universal screening. In the U.S., most newborns receive testing for hypothyroidism after birth, but few mothers have any screening before or during pregnancy for hypothyroidism.

According to Professor Björn Vennström, who led the study, "[Hypothyroidism] is easy to treat if it’s discovered. The results provide fresh support for those who advocate the more thorough monitoring of pregnant women.”

More Information on Pregnancy and Thyroid Disease

Source: Wallis, Karin et. al. "Locomotor deficiencies and aberrant development of subtype-specific GABAergic interneurons caused by an unliganded thyroid hormone receptor alpha 1’" Journal of Neuroscience, 20 February 2008

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