Thyroid Dysfunction among Pregnant Women: An Observational Study Done Among Women Attending a Tertiary Care Hospital of Bihar

Abstract

Introduction: Thyroid disorders in pregnancy are usually underestimated in preference to other disorders like anemia and toxemia. However, if overlooked, it can have a detrimental effect on the mother as well as the fetus. But if left untreated, it may progress to overt hyperthyroidism and result in complications like pre-eclampsia, preterm labour, low birth weight, fetal and perinatal loss. Materials and Methods: A study was conducted in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Madhubani Medical College and Hospital, Bihar, India. The study period was 6 months. 250 antenatal women with uncomplicated intra-uterine pregnancies attending the OPD and IPD in our hospital were included in the study. This study was approved by the ethic committee. SPSS software was used for data analysis. Data was expressed as percent and mean ± SD. Results: A total of 250 women were included in the study, out of which 172 (68.8%) were primigravidas, 49 () were G2 and rest 29 (11.6%) were G3 or above. Mean maternal age was 25.2 years with a SD of 8.6 years. Most of the patients were in the age group of 20 to 25 years. 27 out of 250 patients gave a positive family history of any thyroid disorders or goiter, this comprised 10.85 of the study population. Conclusion: However, an early detection of thyroid dysfunctions and treatment of mother during gestation improves the outcome.