| Summary: | Abstract Maternal thyroid dysfunction and/or antibodies are present in 5–10% of pregnancies and may be associated with increased risks of adverse pregnancy and perinatal outcomes. In the present study maternal thyroid function and antibody status in the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 was analyzed using early pregnancy serum samples. The impact of long-term storage on the stability of thyroid hormones and antibodies was studied and while TSH and thyroid hormone levels were not affected by storage time the concentrations of thyroid antibodies appeared to be significantly increased after 10 years of storage. Normal maternal thyroid function was evaluated by calculating thyroid hormone reference intervals in the thyroid antibody-negative population using a biobank of stored serum samples. Thyrotropin, free thyroxine and triiodothyronine reference intervals in the first and second trimester were 0.07–3.1 mU/L and 0.10–3.5 mU/L, 11.4–22.4 pmol/L and 11–18.9 pmol/L; and 3.4–7.0 pmol/L and 3.5–7.3 pmol/L, respectively, in this population (Abbott Architect method). Compared with thyroid antibody-negative mothers, antibody-positive mothers had significantly higher TSH and lower fT4 concentrations and an increased risk of experiencing death of an infant in the perinatal period with odds ratios (ORs) of 3.1 (95% confidence interval 1.4–7.1) for thyroid-peroxidase and OR 2.6 (1.1–6.2) for thyroglobulin antibody positivity. These infants were more often born very preterm, which could possibly explain these increased risks. Positive thyroid antibody status was not associated with preterm birth in this study. No other major pregnancy or perinatal complications were observed among mothers or newborns of mothers with thyroid dysfunction/antibodies. Mothers, who had hypothyroidism or thyroid antibodies during pregnancy, had a very high risk of subsequent thyroid disease: hazard ratio (HR) 17.7 (7.8–40.6) for overt hypothyroidism, 4.2 (2.3–7.4) for thyroid-peroxidase and 3.3 (1.9–6.0) for thyroglobulin antibody positivity. ...
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