Link between maternal thyroid hormone trajectories and preschoolers’ behavioral development seen for boys but not girls<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
<\/b><\/p>\n
<\/b><\/p>\n
FRIDAY, Jan. 7, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Maternal thyroid hormone trajectories may impact behavioral development in preschool-aged boys, according to a study published online Jan. 6 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism<\/em>.<\/p>\n Peixuan Li, from Anhui Medical University in China, and colleagues examined the sex-specific effect of thyroid hormone trajectories on preschoolers’ behavioral development. Pregnant women were recruited at the first antenatal checkup from May 2013 to September 2014; the analysis included 1,860 mother-child pairs. Maternal thyroid hormone (thyroid stimulating hormone [TSH] and free thyroxine [FT4<\/sub>]) levels were categorized into high, moderate, and low trajectories. Behavioral development was assessed at age 4 years.<\/p>\n The researchers found that a maternal high TSH trajectory was related to withdrawal and externalizing problems in boys (odds ratios, 2.01 and 2.69, respectively), while a moderate TSH trajectory was associated with aggressive behavior (odds ratio, 3.76). There were associations observed for a maternal high FT4<\/sub> trajectory with anxious\/depressed and total problems (odds ratios, 2.22 and 1.74, respectively), while a low FT4<\/sub> trajectory correlated with aggressive behavior (odds ratio, 4.17). No significant associations were observed for girls.<\/p>\n “It is worth noting that, our findings regarding the effect of maternal thyroid hormone trajectories on preschoolers’ behavioral development are only observed in boys,” the authors write. “The potential mechanism is unclear.”<\/p>\n Abstract\/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)<\/a><\/p>\n <\/i><\/p>\n