Thyroid Function at Age Fifty After Prenatal Famine Exposure in the Dutch Famine Birth Cohort

Background Early-life exposures during gestation may permanently alter thyroid physiology and health in adulthood. We investigated whether exposure to the Dutch Famine (1944-1945) in late, mid, or early gestation influences thyroid function (i.e., incidence of thyroid disease, thyroid autoantibodies, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), and free thyroxine (FT4) levels) in adulthood. We specifically assessed whether potential effects of famine differed for men and women. Methods This study includes 910 men and women born as term singletons in the Wilhelmina Gasthuis in Amsterdam, the Netherlands,... Mehr ...