Screening for Thyroid Diseases in Urban Pregnant Women

Abstract: Thyroid hormones play major roles in the regulation of a wide range of metabolic and physiologic processes, but the genes and environmental factors that affect normal concentrations is largely unknown using quantitative genetic methods. Thyroid hormone is critical to normal development of the baby’s brain and nervous system. In investigations to study of complete thyroid profile of all antenatal patients was done at the first antenatal visit along with routine tests. The Aim of the present study was to Screening for Thyroid Diseases in Urban Pregnant Women. A total of 200 pregnant women were included in this study. The Results showed 34% prevalence of hypothyroidism of which 30% being subclinical hypothyroidism and 4% overt hypothyroidism. There was 9.5% prevalence of hyperthyroidism of which 5.5% being subclinical hyperthyroidism and 4% overt hyperthyroidism. It shows a very high prevalence rate of hypothyroidism in the patients attending the antenatal outpatient department of Govt. Hospital, Samastipur, Bihar. This justifies the inclusion of thyroid profile test as a routine test in the antenatal profile.

Keywords: Pregnancy, Hypothyroidism, Subclinical hypothyroidism