title: Doubts and Concerns about Isolated Maternal Hypothyroxinemia.
abstract: There is evidence that isolated maternal hypothyroxinemia may have detrimental effects on both mother and foetus. Nonetheless, this condition is still far from being universally accepted as a separate thyroid disease, and a standard definition of this state of mild thyroid underfunction is still lacking. We will review the biochemical criteria used to define isolated maternal hypothyroxinemia, together with current methodological issues related to FT4 assays. We will also discuss its epidemiological impact in both iodine-deficient and-sufficient areas, and the effectiveness of iodine prophylaxis on maternal thyroid function and neuropsychomotor development in offspring.
authors.affiliation: Sezione di Endocrinologia, Dipartimento Clinico Sperimentale di Medicina e Farmacologia, Università de Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Mariacarla
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moleti
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Trimarchi
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vermiglio