Normal fetal thyroid volume

Maternal-Fetal Thyroid Interactions

Thyroid Hormones and Fetal Development

The importance of thyroid hormones for normal fetal development is well established. Through animal experiments (1,2) and clinical studies (3,4), thyroid hormones have been clearly found to be crucial in brain development, maturation, and normal function. The fetal thyroid begins to produce thyroid hormones at about 10 to 12 weeks of gestation. During the first trimester, thyroid hormones are s...

Maternal and fetal thyroid function.

Conception is followed by a series of hormonal and metabolic changes that involve most maternal endocrine systems. With regard to thyroid metabolism, these include an increase in serum thyroxine-binding globulin and thyroid hormone concentrations, increased renal clearance of iodine, and increased production and turnover of thyroxine (T). Fetal and maternal thyroid physiology differ, but the sy...

Quantitative analysis of normal fetal brain volume and flow by three-dimensional power Doppler ultrasound.

BACKGROUND Assessment of the fetal brain volume and blood flow is important in the evaluation of fetal growth. We used three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound and power Doppler to assess the fetal brain volume and the blood flow index during normal gestation. The relationships of these parameters were further analyzed. METHODS We assessed the total volume and the blood flow index of the fetal brain...

Three-dimensional sonographic measurement of normal fetal brain volume during the second half of pregnancy.

OBJECTIVES This study was undertaken to develop a three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound method of measuring fetal brain volume. STUDY DESIGN Serial 3D sonographic measurements of fetal brain volume were made in 68 normal singleton pregnancies at 18 to 34 weeks of gestation. A comparison was made with fetal brain volume estimates from two-dimensional (2D) sonographic measurement of head circumfere...