Neonatal thyrotoxicosis caused by maternal autoimmune hyperthyroidism

Neonatal immune hyperthyroidism is a rare but potentially fatal condition. It occurs in 1–5% of infants born to women with Graves’ disease (GD). In most of the cases it is due to maternal antibodies transferred from the mother into the fetal compartment, stimulating the fetal thyroid by binding thyrotropin (thyroid-stimulating hormone, TSH) receptor. We present a case of neonatal thyrotoxicosis due to maternal GD detected at 25 days of age and discuss the potential pitfalls in the diagnosis.