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Médecine de la Reproduction

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Iodine deficiency, thyroid disrupters and pregnancy: consequences on neuro-development Volume 20, issue 3, Juillet-Août-Septembre 2018

Authors
Université Nice Sophia Antipolis, CHU de Nice, service d’endocrinologie, diabétologie, médecine de la reproduction, hôpital l’Archet, Nice, France
* Tirés à part

Thyroid signalling pathways are mandatory for a harmonious fetal brain development. Thus, it is not surprising that inadequate iodine intake and exposure to thyroid disrupters (environment compounds able to disturb the feto-maternal thyroid economy at all levels) may result in developmental cerebral anomalies. If the deleterious impact of iodine deficiency has long been known, the neurodevelopmental risks linked to thyroid disrupters are an emerging concern. Vulnerability of the developing brain during gestation and the first two years of life is due to the rapid growth and differentiation of this organ, following a precisely timed chronology. Thus are defined windows of exposure with specific, mostly irreversible defects depending on timing of exposure and type of compound. Toxicology of Endocrine Disruptors differentiates itself from classical toxicology with very low dose effects and possibly non monotonic dose-effect responses. Exposure via the placenta and nursing reflects maternal exposure, while after birth, infant's direct exposure is added. Laboratory experimental proofs, as well as human epidemiological studies in the cognitive and behavioral fields (autistic syndromes, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders) are adding up and should lead to preventive decisions targeting women of reproductive age and pregnant women, to protect the brains of future generations.

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