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Related Experiment Videos

Maternal thyroid function during pregnancy and puerperal period.

Hiroko Kurioka1, Kentaro Takahashi, Kohji Miyazaki

  • 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shimane University School of Medicine, Japan.

Endocrine Journal
|November 15, 2005
PubMed
Summary
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Maternal thyroid function changes significantly during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Key findings include lower thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) in early pregnancy and higher TSH postpartum, alongside decreasing free thyroxine (free T4) in the third trimester.

Area of Science:

  • Endocrinology
  • Reproductive Medicine
  • Clinical Chemistry

Background:

  • Hypothyroidism during pregnancy poses risks to fetal neurodevelopment.
  • Normal thyroid function parameters in Japanese pregnant and postpartum women are not well-established.
  • Transient elevations in serum free thyroxine (free T4) can occur in early normal pregnancy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To define normal maternal thyroid function during pregnancy and the puerperium in Japan.
  • To assess changes in thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free triiodothyronine (free T3), free thyroxine (free T4), and thyroid binding capacity (TBC) throughout gestation and postpartum.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 522 healthy pregnant and puerperal women was studied.
  • Thyroid function tests (TSH, free T3, free T4, TBC) were measured using electrochemiluminescence immunoassay.

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  • Data were compared against a control group of healthy non-pregnant women.

    • Main Results:

    • Lower TSH levels were observed in 21.8% of first-trimester women; higher TSH levels were found in 16.9% of early postpartum women.
    • Free T3 levels gradually decreased during pregnancy, remaining within normal ranges.
    • High free T4 levels were noted in 6.7% of first-trimester women, decreasing thereafter. Significantly, 44.4% of third-trimester women exhibited low free T4 levels.
    • Thyroid binding capacity (TBC) increased in the second trimester, remained stable in the third, and decreased postpartum.
    • No significant correlations were found between maternal TSH and thyroid hormones, except for TSH and free T4 in the first trimester.

    Conclusions:

    • Maternal thyroid function, particularly TSH and free T4, undergoes significant alterations during pregnancy and the puerperium.
    • Low free T4 in the third trimester and elevated TSH in the early puerperium are notable tendencies.
    • These findings are crucial for accurate interpretation of thyroid function tests in pregnant and postpartum Japanese women.