Maternal autoimmune thyroiditis and congenital malformations of newborns in a cohort of Slovak women

• Published in: Wiener medizinische Wochenschrift Vol. 160; no. 17-18; pp. 470 - 474
• Main Authors: Vargová, Viola, Pytliak, Marek, Mechírová, Viola, Felšöci, Marek
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Vienna Springer-Verlag 01.09.2010
• Subjects: Adult; Autoantibodies - blood; Congenital Abnormalities - diagnosis; Congenital Abnormalities - epidemiology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Family Medicine; Female; General Practice; Geriatrics/Gerontology; Humans; Hypothyroidism - diagnosis; Hypothyroidism - epidemiology; Infant, Newborn; Infectious Diseases; Internal Medicine; Iodide Peroxidase - immunology; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Original Article; Pharmacology/Toxicology; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications - diagnosis; Pregnancy Complications - epidemiology; Risk Factors; Slovakia; Thyroid Function Tests; Thyroiditis, Autoimmune - diagnosis; Thyroiditis, Autoimmune - epidemiology; Ultrasonography, Prenatal; Slovakia; Fertilität; Autoantibodies; Postpartum thyroiditis; Schilddrüse; Autoantikörper; Fertility; Postpartum Thyreoiditis; Autoimmune thyroiditis; Congenital malformations; Autoimmun-Thyreoiditis; Angeborene Fehlbildungen; Thyroid
• ISSN: 0043-5341; 1563-258X
• DOI: 10.1007/s10354-010-0824-z

Summary BACKGROUND: Aim of this study was to compare the thyroidal status of mothers to children with and without congenital malformations (CM). METHODS: We examined 129 mothers of newborns with CM and 228 mothers without CM. The assessment included particular history, physical examination, thyroid ultrasonography, fT4, TSH, and anti-TPO measurement of mothers and comparison to birth proportions of newborns. RESULTS: The total volume of the thyroid gland and anti-TPO levels were significantly higher in mothers of the group with CM ( p < 0.001 and p < 0.01, respectively). The birth weight and length were significantly lower in the group with congenital malformation when compared to controls ( p < 0.0001 and p < 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Based on the results of our study, we suggest that thyroid diseases of a mother might participate in congenital malformations of their newborn, although no direct association between thyroid autoantibodies and congentital malformations has been described as of yet.