title: Maternal thyroid function in pregnancy may program offspring blood pressure, but not adiposity at 20 y of age.
abstract: Experimental evidence exists indicating that maternal thyroid hormones during pregnancy may affect the metabolic set point and cardio-vascular function in the offspring. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between maternal thyroid function in week 30 of gestation and offspring adiposity and blood pressure at 20 y.
  
  
  
  The study was based on the follow up of a Danish birth cohort from 1988 to 1989 (n = 965). A blood sample was drawn from the pregnant women in week 30 of gestation (N = 877). In 2008-2009, the offspring were followed up with self-reported anthropometrics (N = 645) and a clinically measured blood pressure (N = 425). Multiple linear regressions were used to estimate the association between maternal thyroid function and offspring BMI, waist circumference, and blood pressure.
  
  
  
  Offspring of subclinical hypothyroid women had higher systolic blood pressure (adjusted difference = 3.6, 95% confidence interval: 0.2, 7.0 mmHg) and a tendency toward higher diastolic blood pressure (adjusted difference = 2.3, 95% confidence interval: -0.2, 4.9 mmHg) compared to offspring of euthyroid women. No association was found with offspring BMI and waist circumference.
  
  
  
  Maternal thyroid function during third trimester of pregnancy may affect long-term blood pressure in the offspring.
authors.affiliation: Section for Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: Dorte
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rytter
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.|Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.|Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.
authors.forename: Stine L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.affiliation: Section for Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: Bodil H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Bech
authors.affiliation: The Unit for Nutrition Research, Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, School of Health Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland.|Centre for Fetal Programming, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Thorhallur I
authors.initials: TI
authors.lastname: Halldorsson
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Department, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: Tine B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Henriksen
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.|Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Laurberg
authors.affiliation: Centre for Fetal Programming, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Sjurdur F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Olsen
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity; D000886:Anthropometry; D001724:Birth Weight; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003718:Denmark; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006980:Hyperthyroidism / Q000150:complications; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000150:complications; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers; D009765:Obesity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000502:physiology*; D055105:Waist Circumference; D015430:Weight Gain; D055815:Young Adult