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Horm Metab Res 2005; 37(10): 633-640
DOI: 10.1055/s-2005-870533
Original Clinical
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Thyroid Hormone Dysregulation in Intrauterine Growth Retardation Associated with Maternal Malnutrition and/or Anemia

S.  D.  Mahajan1 , R.  Aalinkeel1 , S.  Singh2 , P.  Shah1 , N.  Gupta1 , N.  Kochupillai1
  • 1Department of Endocrinology & Metabolism, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi, India
  • 2Department of Obstretrics and Gynecology, Joan C Edwards School of Medicine, Hungtinton, VA, USA
Further Information

Publication History

Received 18 October 2004

Accepted after revision 19 April 2005

Publication Date:
08 November 2005 (online)

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Abstract

Data on the effect of maternal malnutrition and/or anemia on thyroid hormone regulation in human fetuses are scarce, and would be of great importance in examining the relevance of Barker’s hypothesis, which proposes adaptation of fetuses to undernutrition leading to permanent metabolic and endocrine changes that form the basis of adult diseases. To examine the quantitative variations in thyroid hormone profile of neonates born to malnourished and/or anemic mothers, we quantitated the T3, T4, rT3 and TSH levels in cord blood of neonates and maternal blood of their corresponding mothers that are malnourished and/or anemic. Further, we classified neonates born to each of these groups of mothers into Small for Gestational Age (SGA) or Appropriate for Gestational Age (AGA) based on the intrauterine growth curve for our population, and examined the thyroid hormone profile in these neonates. Our results show that firstly, the effects of malnutrition or anemia on thyroid hormone profile are distinct, secondly, significantly higher levels of cord blood T4 and correspondingly lower levels of T3 and rT3 are observed in the neonates born to anemic and malnourished mothers and thirdly, decreases in cord blood T3 levels were observed in Small for Gestational Age neonates born to anemic mothers. These observations lead us to speculate that alterations in the pituitary-thyroid function result in beneficial adaptations to the hostile intrauterine environment in malnutrition related growth retardation and anemia.

Key words

Intrauterine growth retardation - Small for gestational age - Thyroxin - Thyronines - Anemia - Malnutrition

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Supriya D. Mahajan, Ph. D.,

Department of Medicine, Div. of Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology

310 Multi Research Bldg. · Buffalo General Hospital · 100 High Street · Buffalo · NY 14203 · USA·

Phone: +1 (716) 859-2994

Fax: +1 (716) 859-2999

Email: smahajan@buffalo.edu

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