Abstract
In the past decade a lot of new information have clarified the interaction of the gestational process and the regulation of the normal thyroid gland. Two main new aspects are: 1) Hypothyroid-ism in pregnant women may adversely affect neuropsychological development of their fetuses; therefore women with known hypothyroidism should increase their levothyroxine dose as soon as pregnancy is confirmed. 2) A discussion about side effects of antithyroid drugs - aplasia cutis is only described with methimazole in single cases - has led to the recommendation that during pregnancy propylthiouracil should be preferred to methimazole. Preconceptional counselling in women with autoimmune thyroid disease is recommended concerning optimal treatment of maternal hypothyroidism, iodine supply, definitive treatment of Graves' disease prior to pregnancy and exacerbation of autoimmune hyperthyroidism or postpartal thyroiditis in the postpartal period.
Published Version
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