Human fetal thyroid function.

The early steps of thyroid development that lead to its function in the human fetus and subsequently the further maturation that allows the human fetus to secrete thyroxine (T4) in a significant amount are reviewed here. We underline the importance of the transfer of T4 from the pregnant woman to her fetus, which contributes at all stages of the pregnancy to fetal thyroid function and development. In the first trimester of pregnancy, the temporal and structural correlation of thyroid hormone synthesis with folliculogenesis supported the concept that structural and functional maturations are closely related. Human thyroid terminal differentiation follows a precisely timed gene expression program. The crucial role of the sodium/iodine symporter for the onset of thyroid function in the human fetus is shown. Fetal T4 is detected by the eleventh week of gestation and progressively increases throughout. The pattern of thyroid hormones and thyroid-stimulating hormone levels in the course of pregnancy is given from fetal blood sampling data, and the mechanisms governing this maturation in the human fetus are discussed. Finally an example of primary human fetal thyroid dysfunction, such as in Down syndrome, is given. The understanding of the physiology of the human fetal thyroid function is the basis for fetal medicine in the field of thyroidology.