Cigarette Smoking During Pregnancy Alters Maternal and Fetal Thyroid Function..

January 14, 2009 - The influence of cigarette smoking on thyroid function was studied in two groups of women at different stages of pregnancy – one in the first trimester and the other in the third trimester. In both groups it was found that smoking during pregnancy is associated with changes in the mothers' thyroid hormone levels. Co-author, Dr. Bijay Vaidya, Ph.D. said that optimal maternal thyroid function during pregnancy is vital for a successful pregnancy outcome. The adverse outcomes associated with thyroid dysfunction during pregnancy include increased risk of miscarriage, premature birth, low birth weight and impaired neuropsychological development of the baby.

Also measured thyroid hormone levels in the umbilical cord of babies born to smoking mothers and found that smoking-related changes in thyroid function extend to the fetus. Dr. Vaidya believes that impaired thyroid function in the fetus could have potentially harmful biological consequences.

The study also found that in mothers who stopped smoking during pregnancy their thyroid hormone levels were comparable to levels found in non-smokers, which suggests that changes in thyroid function are rapidly reversible.

PAPER: Beverley Shields, Anita Hill, Mary Bilous, Beatrice Knight, Andrew T Hattersley, Rudy W Bilous, and Bijay Vaidya, Cigarette smoking during pregnancy is associated with alterations in maternal and fetal thyroid function, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, published online on November 18, 2008, ABSTRACT..

More - Tobacco Use and Pregnancy.

Reference: Smoking During Pregnancy May Impair Thyroid Function Of Mom And Fetus, Science Daily, 1/13/2009.

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