Abstract
Globally, deficiency of iodine and the often concomitant deficiency of selenium are major causes of hypothyroidism in adults. In this wider perspective, the main focus is on the effects of iodine deficiency during pregnancy, both for the mother and child. Iodine deficiency and the significance of certain foodstuffs which affect iodine uptake, goitrogens, are discussed separately (see Chaps. 6 and 33).
Hypothyroidism can exist at birth, congenital hypothyroidism, due to effects on foetal development. Because of the potentially serious consequences of undiagnosed congenital hypothyroidism, TSH is analysed in newborns in most countries.
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© 2011 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Nyström, E., Berg, G., Jansson, S., Tørring, O., Valdemarsson, S. (2011). Causes of Hypothyroidism. In: Thyroid Disease in Adults. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-13262-9_10
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-13262-9_10
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-13261-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-13262-9
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