Assessment of thyroid function during pregnancy.
Serum levels of thyroid stimulating hormone and of the two thyroid hormones were compared in pregnant women and in non-pregnant control subjects. Circulating levels of thyroid stimulating hormone did not alter significantly throughout pregnancy. Total thyroxine and triiodothyronine concentrations increased markedly during the first and second trimesters, associated with a progressive increase in the thyroid binding capacity of serum proteins. Urinary triiodothyronine and thyroxine excretion during the third trimester of pregnancy was comparable to that found in non-pregnant euthyroid females and, it is concluded, provides the simplest method of assessing thyroid function during pregnancy.
D000818:Animals; D003278:Contraceptives, Oral, Hormonal; D005260:Female; D006041:Goats / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007106:Immune Sera; D007743:Labor, Obstetric; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D011869:Radioligand Assay; D013960:Thyroid Function Tests; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000502:physiology*; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood*; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood*; D014284:Triiodothyronine / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine
D003278:Contraceptives, Oral, Hormonal; D007106:Immune Sera; D014284:Triiodothyronine; D013972:Thyrotropin; D013974:Thyroxine