Thyroid Autoimmunity in Pregnancy in a North-Central City in Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Pregnancy often increases the likelihood of adverse maternal and fetal outcomes in cases of thyroid dysfunction. The inherent variation and instability of the thyroid gland can predispose the pregnant woman and fetus to significant negative consequences. Although thyroid autoimmunity may become less common as pregnancy progresses, it remains a prevalent dysfunction during this period. Method: We conducted a hospital-based cross-sectional study involving 250 healthy pregnant women who volunteered to participate. Blood samples were collected from the participants and analysed using the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) technique to measure serum levels of Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) and anti-TPO antibodies. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS. Result: Among the participants, 31 (12.4%) were found to have thyroid dysfunction, with 12 (4.8%) exhibiting signs of thyroid autoimmunity. Specifically, 8 (3.2%) were diagnosed with hypothyroidism, while 4 (1.6%) showed hyperthyroidism. Conclusion: This study identified a prevalence of 4.8% for thyroid autoimmunity during pregnancy using the anti-TPO antibody assay. Furthermore, we determined that measuring thyroid stimulating hormone levels was a reliable indicator for detecting thyroid dysfunction during pregnancy.