Maternal thyroid function in early pregnancy and neuropsychological performance of the child at 5 years of age.

Maternal thyroid function in early pregnancy and neuropsychological performance of the child at 5 years of age.

J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2017 Dec 06;:

Authors: Andersen SL, Andersen S, Liew Z, Vestergaard P, Olsen J

Abstract
Context: Abnormal maternal thyroid function in pregnancy may impair fetal brain development, but more evidence is needed to refine and corroborate the hypothesis.
Objective: To estimate the association between maternal thyroid function in early pregnancy and neuropsychological performance of the child at 5 years of age.
Design: Follow-up study.
Participants: A cohort of 1,153 women and their children sampled from the Danish National Birth Cohort. Maternal TSH and free T4 (fT4) were measured in stored biobank sera from early pregnancy.
Main outcomes measures: Child neuropsychological test results (the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Revised/Test of Everyday Attention for Children at Five), test of motor function (Movement Assessment Battery for Children) and results of parent and teacher reports (Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function/Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire).
Results: Altogether 145 children (12.6%) were born to mothers with abnormal thyroid function in the early pregnancy. High maternal TSH and low fT4 were associated with lower child verbal intelligence quotient (IQ) (adjusted mean difference TSH ≥ 10 mIU/l versus 0.1-2.49 mIU/l: -8.9 (95% CI: -15; -2.4; fT4 < 10 pmol/l versus 12.0-18.99 pmol/l:-13 (-19; -7.3)). Abnormal maternal thyroid function was also associated with adverse motor function and teacher reported problems of executive function and behavior, and these associations were dominated by exposure to maternal hypothyroxinemia.
Conclusions: Maternal thyroid hormone abnormalities were associated with adverse neuropsychological function of the child at 5 years of age. For intelligence, marked hypothyroidism was of importance, whereas for motor function, executive and behavior problems, maternal hypothyroxinemia was predominant.

PMID: 29220528 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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