In areas of mild-to-moderate iodine deficiency,
pregnancy has often been suggested as an environmental
factor contributing to a higher prevalence of
goiter and thyroid disorders in women, compared
with men. But the data to support this are scarce. In
European studies, an uncontrolled prospective study
in 10 women,28 a retrospective study29 and a crosssectional
study in smoking women30 suggest goiters
formed during pregnancy may only partially regress
after parturition