The Effect of Maternal Thyroid Function on Fetal Thyroid Function and Development*†

Cretinism: Early diagnosis its relation to mental prognosis

“…At the 8th fetal month, the ratio of cerebral tissue to total brain weight is higher than at any other time of life, and at birth the weight of the brain is 25% of the total adult brain weight (Carr et al, 1959). Half of the postnatal brain growth is completed by 6 months of age (Pickering and Fisher, 1958).…”

The Regulation of Thyroid Function in Pregnancy: Pathways of Endocrine Adaptation from Physiology to Pathology

“…There are indications that thyroid hormone administration greatly improves, although it does not entirely suppress, the frequency of these abnormalities (197)(198)(199)(200)(201). In general, infants of hypothyroid mothers appear healthy without evidence of thyroid dysfunction.…”

The Role of Thyroid Hormones in Prenatal and Neonatal Neurological Development—Current Perspectives

“…These results refute the original proposal of Hamburgh (22) that thyroid hormones do not appear to have any effect on the fetus. Many researchers now emphasize the importance of eventually beginning thyroid hormone replacement therapy in utero (70,104,108), and research is presently underway to determine the most effective way to detect and initiate treatment of congenital hypothyroidism in utero (109,110).…”

“…Subsequently, Carr et al (108) were able to successfully treat sporadic congenital hypothyroidism by administering thyroid hormone to the mother during pregnancy.…”