Can low thyroid function during pregnancy cause cerebral palsy? Current research does not show a direct link between low thyroid function, known as hypothyroidism, and cerebral palsy in babies. Instead, studies point to risks for other brain-related issues like autism or cognitive delays when thyroid problems go untreated.
The thyroid gland makes hormones that help control how the body uses energy and grows. During pregnancy, these hormones are extra important for the baby’s brain development. If a pregnant woman’s thyroid does not work well and stays unbalanced over time without treatment, it can affect the fetus’s neurodevelopment. For example, an Israeli study of over 51,000 pregnant women found that kids born to mothers with long-term untreated thyroid issues had two to three times more cases of autism spectrum disorder compared to the general rate of about one per 100 children. Experts there noted that some unknown process in low maternal thyroid hormones seems to change how the baby’s brain forms, leading to autism in some cases.
Other research agrees that untreated hypothyroidism in pregnancy can harm fetal brain growth. It may lead to lower IQ scores, long-term thinking problems, or delays in development. One review highlighted how low thyroid levels might compromise the baby’s brain, causing issues that last into childhood. Subclinical hypothyroidism, which is mild and often missed, has also been tied to poorer neurocognitive outcomes in offspring.
Thyroid problems in pregnancy can come from the mother’s antibodies crossing to the baby, causing temporary hypothyroidism even if the baby’s thyroid looks normal on scans. Signs might include slow bone growth in the fetus or low heart rate, but these do not connect to cerebral palsy, a condition caused mainly by brain injury around birth from lack of oxygen, infection, or early delivery.
Guidelines from groups like the Israeli Medical Association suggest checking thyroid levels only in women already known to have issues, not everyone, since treating mild cases has not proven to fix all outcomes. Still, keeping thyroid levels balanced supports healthy pregnancy and baby brain growth.
Sources:
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-study-untreated-chronic-thyroid-condition-in-pregnancy-ups-autism-risk-in-children/
https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/article-879390
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12750889/
https://www.droracle.ai/articles/624770/how-does-thyroid-dysfunction-affect-brain-health-and-what
https://www.oreateai.com/blog/navigating-pregnancy-with-hypothyroidism-what-you-need-to-know/29ca5708f6e18aa3de918a16a982e790
https://saapjournals.org/index.php/ijhcbs/article/view/747
