Babies born to women with low levels of a thyroid hormone during pregnancy may be at an increased risk of being affected by neurodevelopmental disorder finds a new study. Low maternal free thyroid hormone (fT4) concentrations leads to hypothyroxinemia -- a common condition in pregnant women. Children of mothers with hypothyroxinemia during pregnancy have increased odds of developing abnormalities in cognitive development similar to those in schizophrenia -- a neurodevelopmental disorder the study said. The association remained even after adjusting for variables strongly related to schizophrenia such as maternal psychiatric history and smoking. Hypothyroxinemia is also associated with preterm birth
