Graves' disease is rare in children and shows a number of differences from the disease that occurs in adults (17.6).
Intrauterine foetal or neonatal hyperthyroidism can occur in cases in which a woman with previously treated Graves' disease has persisting stimulating antibodies to the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) receptor (TSH-R). If stimulating [TSH-R(s)] and blocking [TSH- R(b)] antibodies are present in the maternal circulation, the onset of neonatal hyperthyroidism may be delayed, depending on the titre and affinity of the different antibodies that interact with the TSH-R.
