FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2026 American Thyroid Association Guidelines on Thyroid Disease in Preconception, Pregnancy, and Postpartum
New evidence-based recommendations aim to guide clinicians and improve care for women across the reproductive continuum
Thousand Oaks, CA — June 1, 2026 — Sage Publishing, in partnership with the American Thyroid Association (ATA), is pleased to announce the publication of the 2026 ATA Guidelines for Thyroid Disease in Preconception, Pregnancy, and Postpartum in Thyroid®, the flagship journal of the ATA.
Developed by an international, multidisciplinary task force, the updated guidelines reflect significant advances in clinical and scientific evidence since the previous ATA recommendations issued in 2017. Thyroid disease remains one of the most common endocrine disorders affecting women during preconception, pregnancy, and the postpartum period, underscoring the importance of clear, evidence-based clinical guidance. Click here to read the article now.
The guidelines are co-first authored by Dr. Tim I.M. Korevaar and Dr. Angela M. Leung, alongside a global team of experts representing 10 international societies, patient advocacy organizations, and methodological specialists.
Advancing Evidence-Based Care
The 2026 guidelines provide comprehensive, evidence-based recommendations intended to support clinicians, researchers, patients, and policymakers in delivering high-quality care before, during, and after pregnancy. The recommendations were informed by prior ATA guidelines and extensive stakeholder feedback, a global needs assessment, and systematic literature reviews conducted with the support of a medical librarian. Evidence was rigorously evaluated using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) framework, with careful consideration given to the quality of evidence, the balance of benefits and harms, patient values, feasibility, and equity. In areas where evidence remains limited, expert-informed Good Practice Statements are included to guide care.
Comprehensive Scope Across the Reproductive Timeline
The updated guidelines provide detailed recommendations spanning key areas of thyroid care, including thyroid function testing, iodine supplementation, and the management of thyroid autoimmunity, hypothyroidism, hypothyroxinemia, hyperthyroidism and Graves’ disease, thyroid nodules and cancer, and postpartum thyroid dysfunction. These recommendations are tailored across the reproductive continuum, addressing the needs of women with infertility, those who are pregnant, and individuals in the postpartum and lactation periods. The guidelines are presented using structured recommendation tables, complemented by practical guidance highlights and detailed supporting information to facilitate clinical implementation.
Supporting Clinical Decision-Making in a Complex Evidence Landscape
While acknowledging that portions of the available evidence remain of low to moderate quality, the guidelines represent the most current international consensus and best practices in the field. They offer a practical, evidence-based framework to support individualized, patient-centered care while also identifying priority areas for future research.
“Healthy pregnancies begin with informed care. The updated ATA pregnancy guidelines provide evidence-based recommendations to support the evaluation and management of thyroid disease before, during, and after pregnancy. Our goal is to provide clinicians with clear recommendations to optimize maternal thyroid health and improve outcomes for both mothers and their babies.”
— M. Regina Castro, MD, ATA President
About the American Thyroid Association
The American Thyroid Association is a leading global organization dedicated to advancing the understanding, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of thyroid disorders. The ATA develops clinical guidelines to improve patient outcomes and promote excellence in thyroid care.
About the Journal
Thyroid®, the official journal of the American Thyroid Association®, (ATA®) is an authoritative peer-reviewed journal published monthly online with open access options and in print. Led by Editor-in-Chief Anna M. Sawka, MD, PhD, University of Toronto, the Journal publishes original articles and timely reviews that reflect the rapidly advancing changes in our understanding of thyroid physiology and pathology, from the molecular biology of the cell to clinical management of thyroid disorders. Complete tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the Thyroid® website. The complete Thyroid Journal Program includes the highly valued abstract and commentary publication Clinical Thyroidology®, led by Editor-in-Chief Trevor E. Angell, MD and published monthly, and the groundbreaking videojournal companion VideoEndocrinology, led by Editor Catherine F. Sinclair, MD, FRACS. Complete tables of content and sample issues may be viewed on the Thyroid® website.
About Sage Publishing
Sage Publishing is committed to advancing research and scholarship by providing high-quality, peer-reviewed content that informs clinical practice, policy, and innovation worldwide. Through its partnership with leading societies such as the American Thyroid Association, SAGE supports the dissemination of authoritative clinical guidance to a global audience.
Media Contact
Pamela F. Mechler, MS, CAE
Executive Director, American Thyroid Association
pmechler@thyroid.org
AMERICAN THYROID ASSOCIATION® , ATA® , THYROID® , CLINICAL THYROIDOLOGY® , and the distinctive circular logo are registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as trademarks of the American Thyroid Association® , Inc.