Prevalence of Hypothyroidism in Pregnancy in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract

Introduction: Thyroid disorders are the most common endocrine disorders affecting women of reproductive age. The most frequent thyroid disorder in pregnancy is maternal hypothyroidism. During early pregnancy, the fetus is totally dependent on maternal thyroid hormone supply. Thyroid hormone is critical for fetal brain and intellectual development. Thyroid hormone is also important for some preventable pregnancy complications like anaemia, low birth weight, abruptio placenta, preeclampsia, etc., which pose special risks for the mother and developing fetus. Aim of the study: To assess the prevalence of hypothyroidism in pregnant women and thus ensure appropriate treatment for the wellbeing of the mother and baby. Methods: This prospective obsessional study was conducted on 113 pregnant women at US Bangla Medical College Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh, who attended obstetrics outdoors. Women were randomly chosen irrespective of age, parity, residence, and socioeconomic status. Women with multiple pregnancies or having any pre-existing medical disorder were excluded. All women were investigated for TSH along with routine pregnancy tests. All were divided into two groups: normal/euthyroid and abnormal/thyroid disorders, considering their thyroid status. Result: We found the prevalence of thyroid dysfunction in pregnancy was 17.7%, with hypothyroidism being 15.93%, of which 10.62% were subclinical hypothyroidism, 5.31% were cases of overt hypothyroidism, and 1.77% were cases of hyperthyroidism. Conclusion: This study showed an increased prevalence of hypothyroidism in pregnancy, recommending a need for universal screening for all pregnant women in the early weeks of pregnancy. This study aims at validating the efficacy of the above-mentioned screening for a better pregnancy outcome.