Low maternal free thyroxine concentrations during early pregnancy are associated with impaired psychomotor development in infancy

Maternal thyroid function during early pregnancy is an important determinant of early fetal brain development because the fetal thyroid is unable to produce any T4 before 12–14 weeks' gestation. Overt maternal hypothyroidism as seen in severe iodine‐deficient areas is associated with severely impaired neurological development of the offspring. At present, it is not known whether low free T4 (fT4) levels during pregnancy in healthy women from iodine sufficient areas may affect fetal neurodevelopment.

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