| Lazarus et al., Cardiff, Wales, UK, measured FT4 and TSH in 214 anti-TPO positive and 148 anti-TPO negative pregnant women between 12–14 weeks of gestation. The frequency of thyroid dysfunction (hypo- or hyperthyroidism) was 20.1 and 6.8% respectively. The authors conclude that routine screening for anti-TPO antibodies should be considered in pregnancy as in positive patients the frequency of thyroid dysfunction is increasing with potential hazards to the fetus. Zograbyan et al., Los Angeles, CA, USA, compared maternal complications in 76 women with hypothyroidism at the first prenatal visit, who completed 82 deliveries and in a control group of 53 women (55 pregnancies) on adequate thyroid hormone replacement for hypothyroidism. Special attention was given to pregnancy induced hypertension. Women with overt and continued hypothyroidism during pregnancy had in 31.5% complications during pregnancy, predominantly hypertension, as compared to 5.7% of patients becoming euthyroid before 20 weeks of gestation, while this figure was 19% in pregnant women who became euthyroid after 20 weeks of gestation. (Comment: Hypothyroidism induced hypertension is a well established, but less well known condition that also occurs outside pregnancy.) |
