Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: A breech presentation occurs in 3–5% of all full-term pregnancies and is associated with increased risk of maternal and foetal morbidity. Factors known to increase the risk of breech presentation include prematurity, low birth weight and multiple pregnancies. Recent studies suggest maternal thyroid hormone deficiency in late pregnancy may also be a risk factor. Our study aims to assess if a breech presentation at 36 weeks gestation in a healthy singleton coh...

Background: Maternal thyrotoxicosis affects 0.2% of pregnancies. Pharmacological treatments include carbimazole, methimazole and propylthiouracil. The Endocrine Society recommends the use of propylthiouracil as first line during pregnancy, because of possible associations between carbimazole and congenital anomalies. However, recent reports link propylthiouracil to liver injury in adults, children, pregnant women and fetuses, raising questions over its safety.<p class="abs...

Introduction: Iodine is important for thyroid hormone synthesis, and iodine deficiency in pregnancy may impair foetal neurological development. Perchlorate, found in some foods and everyday chemicals (e.g. fertilisers) and thiocyanate, which is found in cigarette smoke, decrease the transport of iodine from the circulation to the thyroid cells by inhibiting the sodium-iodide symporter. Environmental exposure to these substances during pregnancy may result in reduced thyroid ho...

Introduction: Iodine is important for thyroid hormone synthesis, and iodine deficiency in pregnancy may impair foetal neurological development. Perchlorate, found in some foods and everyday chemicals (e.g. fertilisers) and thiocyanate, which is found in cigarette smoke, decrease the transport of iodine from the circulation to the thyroid cells by inhibiting the sodium-iodide symporter. Environmental exposure to these substances during pregnancy may result in reduced thyroid ho...