From maternal thyroid ultrasound to the fate of newborns

The thyroid gland plays an important role in the somatic growth, maturation and psychomotor development of the fetus, newborn and child. Its dysfunction can be the cause of maternal fertility disorders and morphological and functional disturbances of varying importance in newborns and children. Ultrasound and thyroid hormone and TSH assays provide the basis for diagnosis, while appropriate treatment enables patients to carry their pregnancies to term and avoid the pre-, peri- and post-conceptional complications of dysthyroidism. The first study published in this book highlighted the influence of genetic and environmental factors on thyroid morphology and function during pregnancy. The 2nd study, which evaluated somatic growth, maturation and psychomotor development in children born to mothers treated for goitre during pregnancy, showed no abnormalities attributable to dysthyroidism or to the treatment received by the patients.