Craniosynostosis and risk factors related to thyroid dysfunction

Area of Science:

• Reproductive health
• Pediatric congenital disorders
• Endocrinology

Background:

• Thyroid disease is common in women of reproductive age and often undiagnosed.
• Maternal thyroid disease is a known risk factor for craniosynostosis in offspring.
• Undiagnosed thyroid dysfunction may contribute to craniosynostosis risk.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if known risk factors for thyroid disease are associated with craniosynostosis risk in women without diagnosed thyroid disease.
• To explore the link between maternal thyroid dysfunction risk factors and craniosynostosis.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study.
• Included mothers of 1,067 craniosynostosis cases and 8,494 population-based controls.
• Employed multivariable logistic regression to calculate adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Main Results:

• Younger maternal age (<25 years) showed a reduced risk of craniosynostosis (AOR 0.7, 95% CI 0.6-0.9).
• Black or other race-ethnicity was associated with reduced craniosynostosis risk (AOR 0.3-0.6).
• Fertility medications/procedures increased craniosynostosis risk (AOR 1.5, 95% CI 1.2-2.0), while alcohol consumption showed a reduced risk (AOR 0.8, 95% CI 0.7-0.9).

Conclusions:

• Risk factors associated with thyroid dysfunction align with their associations with craniosynostosis risk.
• Findings support the hypothesis that thyroid dysfunction risk factors are linked to craniosynostosis.
• Further understanding of maternal thyroid function's role in craniosynostosis is crucial due to the condition's morbidity and thyroid disease's under-diagnosis.