Predicting Hypothyroidism in Pregnant Women
Author Information
Author(s): Mbah Anthony U, Ejim Emmanuel C, Onodugo Obinna D, Ezugwu Francis O, Eze Matthew I, Nkwor Peter O, Ugbajah Winston C
Primary Institution: University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus
Hypothesis
Gestation-related clinical variables are useful in the prediction of gestational hypothyroidism.
Conclusion
Logistic models fitting gravidity, thyroid gland size, and gestational age or body weight are useful alternatives in screening for hypothyroidism during pregnancy.
Supporting Evidence
- 82 (50.3%) of the 163 pregnant women had thyroid gland enlargement.
- 60 (36.8%) had hypothyroidism as defined by FT4 values below and/or TSH above their laboratory reference ranges.
- Both logistic models showed a sensitivity of 100% in the prospective validation study.
Takeaway
Doctors can use simple measurements like how many times a woman has been pregnant and the size of her thyroid to check if she might have thyroid problems during pregnancy.
Methodology
The study involved two phases: an initial study with 163 pregnant women and a prospective validation study with 197 pregnant women, using logistic regression models to predict hypothyroidism.
Limitations
The study did not include fetal screening to assess the impact of hypothyroidism on fetal outcomes.
Participant Demographics
Participants were pregnant women attending antenatal clinics, with a mean age of 29.9 years in the initial study and 23.8 years in the validation study.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.0001
Confidence Interval
95% Confidence interval = -0.029 to 0.457
Statistical Significance
p<0.01
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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