Thyroid and Pregnancy

Call for Papers

Pregnancy has a profound impact on thyroid economy with critical alterations in serum-thyroid-binding globulin, iodine metabolism, and the immune system. Autoimmune thyroid disease is common in pregnancy, with the thyroid peoxidase antibody (TPOAb) being present in 10-20% of women at gestation. The presence of TPOAb is associated with significant increment in pregnancy failure, increased incidence of gestational thyroid dysfunction, and a predisposition to postpartum thyroiditis. Hypothyroidism occurs in about 2.5% of pregnancies, mostly in its subclinical form and may lead to obstetric and neonatal complications. Hypothyroidism should be carefully investigated in high-risk women before initiation of pregnancy and corrected prior to conception. Requirement for T4 replacement increases in the first trimester and overt maternal hypothyroidism in early pregnancy has been associated with alterations in fetal intellectual development. Adequate replacement therapy is required. Gestational hypothyroidism and euthyroidism must be maintained throughout pregnancy. Hyperthyroidism occurs in 0.2% of pregnancies and is best managed with antithyroid therapy throughout gestation.

Thus, thyroid diseases, both clinical and subclinical, are common during pregnancy and postpartum and influence the health of mother, fetus, and infant. It is important that effective evidence-based strategies for both detection and management are developed for the benefit of both mother and child. High-risk women should be screened for thyroid dysfunction and positive TPOAb, before and during pregnancy and in the postpartum period. Prompt and appropriate treatment of thyroid disease could dramatically improve the pregnancy outcome and ensure health promotion for mother and infant. Despite great progress in pathophysiology and management of thyroid disorders in pregnancy, many controversial issues exists in this topic.We invite investigators to contribute original as well as review articles on research and clinical aspects of pregnancy and thyroid disorders. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Changes in thyroid economy during pregnancy
• Thyroid function tests in pregnancy
• Sub-clinical thyroid diseases and pregnancy
• Hypothyroidism and pregnancy
• Hyperthyroidism and pregnancy
• Screening for thyroid disease before and during gestation
• Surgery and pregnancy

Before submission authors should carefully read over the journal's Author Guidelines, which are located at http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jtr/guidelines/. Prospective authors should submit an electronic copy of their complete manuscript through the journal Manuscript Tracking System at http://mts.hindawi.com/ according to the following timetable:

Lead Guest Editor

• Fereidoun Azizi, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Guest Editors

• John H. Lazarus, Center for Endocrine and Diabetes Sciences, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, UK
• Elizabeth N. Pearce, Section of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Nutrition, Boston University of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA