In developed countries, abnormal maternal thyroid function during pregnancy may be a factor in cerebral palsy and neonatalencephalophy (damage to the central nervous system caused by lack of oxygen).  It has only been found in about two percent of cerebral palsy cases.  The thyroid gland, located near the base of the throat, secretes the thyroid hormone to control the rate at which cells function.  Thyroid disorders occur when the thyroid produces either insufficient or excessive amounts of thyroid hormone.

Too little thyroid hormone causes hypothyroidism, which slows the body’s metabolic rate and organ function.  It is the most common form of thyroid disease and affects one in ten women.  It can cause the sufferer to feel tired or cold.  It can also cause hair loss, weight gain, extremely dry skin, coarse or brittle hair and fingernails, forgetfulness, mood swings, depression, or muscular pain.  Hypothyroidism can stem from Hashimoto’s disease, in which the immune system attacks the thyroid.

Conversely, hyperthyroidism occurs when the thyroid is overactive and produces too much hormone, causing the body to function at an abnormally rapid pace.  Hyperthyroidism may produce anxiety, increased appetite, sweating, shaking, irritability, or insomnia.  Hyperthyroidism can often arise with Graves’ disease, which causes the autoimmune system to accelerate hormone production.  Frequent visible symptoms of Graves’ disease include reddening of the skin and bulging eyes.

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Hart, Hilary M., ed.  Clinics in Developmental Medicine.  London:  Mac Keith Press.   Alberman, Eva; Blair, Eve; and Stanley, Fiona.  Cerebral Palsies: Epidemiology and Causal Pathways.  London:  Cambridge University Press, 2000.  (The book is part of a series of hardcover monographs published by Mac Keith Press.  Four new ones are published each year.  The distributor is Cambridge University Press.)