title: Smoking during pregnancy: a significant cause of neonatal thyroid enlargement.
abstract: The influence of maternal smoking during pregnancy on the function and the echographic volume of the neonatal thyroid gland was examined in an area of borderline iodine intake (median maternal urinary iodine: 315 range 79-1558 nmol/l). There was a positive correlation (P less than 0.001) between cord serum thiocyanate (SCN) concentrations used as an index of maternal smoking and the maternal smoking habits. The thyroid volume/birthweight ratio increased significantly as a function of SCN values (P less than 0.005): this increase was secondary to a decrease in birthweight as well as to an increase in thyroid volume. There was also a positive correlation between cord serum thyroglobulin (Tg) and SCN levels (P = 0.001). Serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine (FT4) values remained within the normal range for age in all newborn infants and were not significantly correlated with SCN values. These results show that smoking during pregnancy in areas with borderline iodine intake may be a significant cause of thyroid enlargement in the newborn.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Hôpital Saint-Pierre, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Chanoine
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Toppet
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bourdoux
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Spehl
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Delange
mesh_terms: D001530:Belgium; D001724:Birth Weight; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry; D005333:Fetus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007455:Iodine / Q000652:urine; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013861:Thiocyanates / Q000097:blood; D013954:Thyroglobulin / Q000097:blood; D013959:Thyroid Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000196:embryology; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal
chemical_list: D013861:Thiocyanates; D013954:Thyroglobulin; D007455:Iodine