Schilddrüse und frühe Entwicklung

Functional alterations of maternal thyroid glands influence early fetal development. The thyroid gland hormones triiodothyronine (T₃) and thyroxine (T₄) are absolutely necessary for the development and maintenance of physiological processes. This is especially true for the central nervous system (CNS) where the thyroid gland hormones play an important role in maturation of the fetal brain during pregnancy. In addition to thyroid gland diseases, iodine deficiency is also extremely important. During pregnancy the requirements for thyroid gland hormones increase by approximately 50 % with a corresponding need for iodine. Healthy thyroid glands can cover these increased requirements as long as sufficient iodine is available. This article describes the processes of fetal and maternal thyroid hormone production and in particular the physiological alterations of maternal thyroid gland parameters during pregnancy. Particular attention is paid to disorders of thyroid gland function in the mother and fetus.