Open AccessTurning to Thyroid Disease in Pregnant Women
Author(s) -
Stig Andersen
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
european thyroid journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.23
H-Index - 10
eISSN - 2235-0802
pISSN - 2235-0640
DOI - 10.1159/000506228
Subject(s) - medicine , subclinical infection , thyroid function , thyroid function tests , thyroid , pregnancy , thyroid disease , disease , pediatrics , obstetrics , genetics , biology
Thyroid disease in pregnant women needs attention from a clinical and scientific standpoint due to the potential severe adverse consequences. It is well-established that overt thyroid disease in pregnant women should be treated to prevent maternal and fetal complications, but routine testing for overt thyroid function test abnormalities has not been implemented. In contrast, the scientific focus has shifted towards smaller aberrations in maternal thyroid function including subclinical thyroid disease and isolated deviations in maternal thyroxine. In this focused review, we touch upon the assessment of maternal thyroid function in pregnancy and how the historical advancements in thyroid function tests parallel with the thyroid function test abnormalities described. Furthermore, we discuss how the scientific focus has evolved and how the field could turn in view of the existing discrepancies between results of observational studies and randomized controlled trials.