Functional condition of the thyroid gland of newborns from methers with a diffuse toxic goiter

Objective: to study the functional state of the thyroid gland in newborns from mothers with diffuse toxic goiter, depending on the level of antibodies to thyroid stimulating hormone receptors (AB-rTSH).

Materials and methods: 68 newborns from 67 mothers with diffuse toxic goiter were examined. The control group included 49 newborns from 49 mothers without thyroid pathology. To assess the functional state of the thyroid gland of newborns, we determined the levels of thyroid stimulating hormone, free thyroxine (fT4), and AB-rTSH in cord blood and calculated the TSH/fT4 coefficient, which allows us to differentiate congenital hypothyroidism from neonatal thyrotoxicosis. On the 4-7th day of life, all newborns underwent ultrasound examination (ultrasound) of the thyroid gland.

Results: newborns from mothers with diffuse toxic goiter had lower growth-weight indices in comparison with the same indices of the control group and they often showed thyroid hyperplasia. It was shown that the increased content of AB-rTSH in the blood serum of pregnant women with diffuse toxic goiter and in the umbilical cord blood of newborns can contribute to the development of neonatal thyrotoxicosis, detected in 16.2 % of newborns.

Conclusions: increased levels of AB-rTSH in the blood serum of mothers with DTG, especially in the second half of pregnancy, and in the umbilical cord blood of newborns affect the formation of thyroid hyperplasia in newborns and contribute to the development of neonatal thyrotoxicosis.

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