Thyroid hormone concentrations in preterm infants born to pre-eclamptic women with placental insufficiency.
The aim of this study was to compare thyroid function in preterm infants born to women with placental insufficiency (n = 15) and those born to women without placental insufficiency (n = 13). Gestational ages ranged between 28 and 33 weeks. Concentrations of free thyroxine (FT4), thyrotropin (TSH), triiodothyronine (T3) and reverse T3 (rT3) were measured by radioimmmunoassays in cord blood and on d 1, 3, 5, 7, 14 and 21. Infants born to the women with placental insufficiency had significantly lower mean FT4 (p = 0.001), TSH (p = 0.002) and rT3 values (p = 0.025) in cord blood, and higher rT3 values on d 5 (p = 0.019) and d 7 (p = 0.025). The following conclusions were reached: (i) preterm infants born to pre-eclamptic women with placental insufficiency have intact hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axes; (ii) compared to preterm infants born to healthy women, preterm infants born to pre-eclamptic women with placental insufficiency have lower FT4 and TSH concentrations before birth and (iii) elevated rT3 concentrations after birth, suggesting a temporarily impaired hepatic type 1 deiodination process.
Fetter
W P
WP
Department of Pediatrics, Sophia Hospital, Zwolle, The Netherlands.
Waals-Van de Wal
C M
CM
Van Eyck
J
J
Samson
G
G
Bongers-Schokking
J J
JJ
D001724:Birth Weight; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000097:blood*; D010927:Placental Insufficiency / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013963:Thyroid Hormones / Q000097:blood*
D013963:Thyroid Hormones