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Preterm birth and risk of medically treated hypothyroidism in young adulthood

Casey Crump1, Marilyn A Winkleby, Jan Sundquist

  • 1Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA. kccrump@stanford.edu

Clinical Endocrinology
|April 28, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Preterm birth, particularly very preterm birth, is linked to a higher risk of medically treated hypothyroidism in young adulthood. This association is independent of fetal growth and more pronounced in twins.

Area of Science:

  • Endocrinology
  • Perinatal Medicine
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Low birth weight is linked to later-life thyroid issues.
  • The independent impact of preterm birth on thyroid health is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the independent association between preterm birth and medically treated hypothyroidism in young adulthood.

Main Methods:

  • A national cohort study of over 600,000 individuals born in Sweden.
  • Analysis of thyroid hormone prescriptions from 2005-2009, linking them to birth status (preterm vs. full-term).

Main Results:

  • Preterm birth was associated with increased odds of hypothyroidism treatment in young adulthood.
  • The association was stronger in twins and for very preterm births (<31 weeks).
  • Adjusted odds ratios for preterm and very preterm births were 1.54 and 2.62 for twins, and 1.08 and 1.59 for singletons, respectively.

Conclusions:

  • Preterm birth is an independent risk factor for medically treated hypothyroidism in young adulthood.
  • The findings highlight potential long-term endocrine consequences of preterm birth.
  • Further research is needed to confirm these findings and explore underlying mechanisms.
Abstract

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