Childhood sexual abuse and hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid axis in postpartum major depression

Childhood maltreatment is associated with increased risk of subclinical hypothyroidism in pregnancy

“…Based on the consideration that the onset and course of hypothyroidism is often insidious and may be precipitated by maternal states and conditions that precede pregnancy, we were particularly interested in considering the role of stress exposure from a maternal life course perspective. We selected exposure to childhood maltreatment (CM) as our primary variable of interest for the following reasons: a) CM represents among the most pervasive and pernicious stressors affecting around one third of the general population, with life-long biological, psychological and behavioral consequences (e.g., Heim et al, 2010); b) we and others have previously demonstrated that a woman’s exposure to CM can produce alterations in several features of gestational biology that relate to embryonic/fetal development (Cammack et al, 2011; Mason et al, 2016; Moog et al, 2016; Shea et al, 2007); c) CM exposure has been associated with reduced thyroid activity in the non-pregnant state (Haviland et al, 2006; Machado et al, 2015; Sinai et al, 2014), with thyroid dysfunction in the postpartum period (Plaza et al, 2010; Plaza et al, 2012), and, more generally, with a higher risk of autoimmune disorders (Dube et al, 2009; Goodwin and Stein, 2004); and d) children of women exposed to CM exhibit an increased risk of developing some of the same behavioral disorders that have been observed in children with moderate maternal thyroid dysfunction (Miranda et al, 2013; Rijlaarsdam et al, 2014; Thompson, 2007). In light of these observations, we hypothesized that women exposed to CM may exhibit an increased likelihood of thyroid dysfunction in pregnancy, a time period of particular importance for not only the mother but also for her developing fetus.…”

Survivors of Child Maltreatment and Postpartum Depression: An Integrative Review

“…Although Robertson‐Blackmore and colleagues failed to find a statistically significant association between child maltreatment and PPD (OR, 1.2; 95% CI, 0.7‐2.3), they did find a statistically significant relationship between child maltreatment and antepartum depression (OR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.3‐3.5) . In addition to the 3 studies that did not find significant relationships between the variables of interest, the last remaining study was not able to draw meaningful conclusions about the association between child maltreatment and PPD symptoms due to its focus on thyroid dysfunction as an intermediate variable …”

“…43 In addition to the 3 studies that did not find significant relationships between the variables of interest, the last remaining study was not able to draw meaningful conclusions about the association between child maltreatment and PPD symptoms due to its focus on thyroid dysfunction as an intermediate variable. 45 All of the studies included in this review varied in terms of sample and setting. They originated from a variety of locations spanning 5 different countries: 5 from the United States, 34,36,[40][41][42] 3 from Canada, 33,39,44 2 from Australia, 28,32 2 from Spain, 35,45 one from the Netherlands, 38 and 3 did not specify their exact location.…”

“…The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM , performed by a clinician, is the gold standard for a diagnosis of PPD . This was included in only 2 studies . The others employed validated self‐report tools and thus captured only PPD symptoms.…”

Decreased anxiety- and depression-like behaviors and hyperactivity in a type 3 deiodinase-deficient mouse showing brain thyrotoxicosis and peripheral hypothyroidism

“…Hypothyroid patients with certain single nucleotide polymorphisms in the thyroid hormone transporter OATP1C1 are more susceptible to develop depression (van der Deure et al, 2008). In addition, abnormal parameters in thyroid function have been associated with postpartum depression risk (Albacar et al, 2010; Lucas et al, 2001; Pedersen et al, 2007; Plaza et al, 2010), and serum thyroid hormone concentrations have been reported to influence depression severity (Berent et al, 2014; Joffe and Marriott, 2000). Furthermore, altered levels of TSH in response to the administration of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) are also associated with depression severity or susceptibility (Duval et al, 1994; Kim et al, 2015; Kirkegaard and Faber, 1986; Targum et al, 1984), suggesting a relationship between the disorder and the setup of the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis.…”