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Maternal Influences on Fetal Neurodevelopment pp 55–77Cite as

Maternal Thyroid Function During Pregnancy: Effects on the Developing Fetal Brain

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Abstract

During pregnancy, numerous hormonal changes and increased metabolic demands lead to complex changes in maternal thyroid physiology and fetal health. Findings from both animal and human research convincingly show that thyroid hormone (TH) is essential for normal brain development and is important for the regulation of a number of critical neurobiological processes [1, 2]. This research has furthermore demonstrated that permanent neuropsychological deficits and alterations in brain development can occur if TH levels are insufficient during gestation [–5].

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  1. Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5G1X8, Canada

    Joanne F. Rovet

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  1. Joanne F. Rovet
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  2. Karen A. Willoughby
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  1. Kennedy Krieger Institute, Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Johns Hopkins University, N. Broadway 707, Baltimore, 21205, Maryland, USA

    Andrew W. Zimmerman

  2. Massachusetts General Hospital for Child, Lurie Family Autism Center / LADDERS Cli, 1 Maguire Rd., Lexington, 02421, Massachusetts, USA

    Susan L. Connors

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Rovet, J.F., Willoughby, K.A. (2010). Maternal Thyroid Function During Pregnancy: Effects on the Developing Fetal Brain. In: Zimmerman, A., Connors, S. (eds) Maternal Influences on Fetal Neurodevelopment. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60327-921-5_5

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