1996 Volume 46 Issue 3 Pages 239-247
Although most neonates born to mothers with Basedow's disease do not have thyroid dysfunction, some have transient hyperthyroidism or transient hypothyroidism as a result of transplacental passage of materials such as anti-TSH receptor antibody (TRAb), thyroid-stimulating antibody (TSAb), and antithyroid drugs.
We report the thyroid function of ten neonates born to mothers with Basedow's disease. Two cases in them presented severe transient neonatal thyrotoxicosis. Suppressed TSH levels and low thyroxine levels persisted for several weeks. The TSH response to TRH administration was blunted, indicating that the hypothyroidism was pituitary origin. These cases had certain characteristics, in common onset of maternal Basedow's disease during pregnancy, suppressed TSH levels, extremely elevated TRAb levels, low birth weight and transient neonatal thyrotoxicosis. One of the two infants had a growth disorder and another had a mild neurodevelopmental defect.
The results of these evaluations suggested that appropriate management of pregnancy in Basedow's disease could prevent impairment of neonatal thyroid function and that careful observation of the neonates would be required.
