Aleksandra Mikołajczak1, Maria Katarzyna Borszewska-Kornacka2, Ewa Romejko-Wolniewicz3, Renata Bokiniec4. 1. Neonatal and Intensive Care Department, Institute of Mother and Child, Warsaw, Poland. 2. Neonatal and Intensive Care Department, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland. 3. Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland. 4. Neonatal and Intensive Care Department, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland. Electronic address: renata.bokiniec@wum.edu.pl.
Abstract
PURPOSE: We aimed to determine the volume of the thyroid gland in full-term neonates born to hypothyroid mothers as compared with full-term infants born to healthy mothers and to investigate the association between levothyroxine doses and the thyroid volume of neonates. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is single center prospective observational study of 245 full-term neonates (96 from hypothyroid and 149 from healthy mothers). Ultrasound examination in both longitudinal and transverse projections was used to calculate the thyroid volume applying the ellipsoid formula. RESULTS: Median (interquartile range) thyroid volume of newborns from hypothyroid mothers was significantly smaller compared to the control group with regard to the total thyroid volume and the left lobe (p < 0.05). We found no statistically significant difference for the right lobe (p > 0.05) and inverse correlation between the thyroid volume and levothyroxine doses taken by mothers. CONCLUSION: Results of the present study indicate that maternal thyroid hormone levels may interfere with the fetal hypothalamic-pituitary axis.
PURPOSE: We aimed to determine the volume of the thyroid gland in full-term neonates born to hypothyroid mothers as compared with full-term infants born to healthy mothers and to investigate the association between levothyroxine doses and the thyroid volume of neonates. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is single center prospective observational study of 245 full-term neonates (96 from hypothyroid and 149 from healthy mothers). Ultrasound examination in both longitudinal and transverse projections was used to calculate the thyroid volume applying the ellipsoid formula. RESULTS: Median (interquartile range) thyroid volume of newborns from hypothyroid mothers was significantly smaller compared to the control group with regard to the total thyroid volume and the left lobe (p < 0.05). We found no statistically significant difference for the right lobe (p > 0.05) and inverse correlation between the thyroid volume and levothyroxine doses taken by mothers. CONCLUSION: Results of the present study indicate that maternal thyroid hormone levels may interfere with the fetal hypothalamic-pituitary axis.