Maternal thyroid hormone imbalance linked to increased autism risk in offspring

Women with persistent thyroid hormone imbalance across pregnancy may be at an increased risk of having children with autism, according to a new study published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Maternal thyroid hormones are essential for fetal neurodevelopment. Gestational thyroid imbalance has been associated with atypical neurodevelopment, including increased risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental condition that affects how a person communicates, interacts with others and experiences the world.

We found that while adequately treated chronic thyroid dysfunction was not associated with increased autism risk in offspring, ongoing imbalance across multiple trimesters was. These findings underscore the need for routine monitoring and timely adjustment of therapy to maintain normal thyroid hormone levels throughout pregnancy."

Idan Menashe, Ph.D., Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Beer Sheva, Israel

The study followed more than 51,000 births and found that mothers with persistent thyroid hormone imbalance across pregnancy were at an increased risk of having children with autism.

The authors also observed a dose-response pattern, in which the longer the duration of thyroid dysfunction across trimesters, the higher the risk.

Other study authors are Leena Elbedour of the Ben-Gurion University of the Nege; May Weinberg of the Meir Medical Center in Kfar Saba, Israel, and Tel Aviv University in Tel Aviv, Israel; Gal Meiri of the Soroka University Medical Center in Beer-Sheva, Israel, and the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev; and Analya Michaelovski of the Soroka University Medical Center.