Prevalence of thyroid disorder in pregnancy and pregnancy outcome

Background: Thyroid disorders constitute one of the most common endocrine disorders seen in pregnancy. Maternal thyroid function changes during pregnancy and inadequate adaptation to these changes results in thyroid dysfunction. Aim: A prospective and comparative clinical study to know prevalence of thyroid disorder in pregnancy and pregnancy outcome was done. Materials and methods: This study was carried out in pregnant women during 1st trimester who attended antenatal clinic of maternity hospital to know the prevalence of thyroid disorders in pregnant women living in and around and also to know the outcome of pregnancy in women suffering from thyroid disorders. Results: In this study, prevalence of thyroid disorder was 11.6% with 95% CI of 9.64 to 13.54 which was high when compared to other regions in India and in other parts of Asia. Subclinical hypothyroidism and Overt hypothyroidism was 6.4% and 2.8% respectively. Subclinical and Overt hyperthyroidism was 1.8% and 0.6% respectively. Subclinical hypothyroidism was more prevalent and hidden, leading to the poor obstetrical outcome and fetal complications. Rate of miscarriage was high in overt hyperthyroid patients. Conclusion: Due to the immense impact that the maternal thyroid disorder has on maternal and fetal outcome, prompt identification of thyroid disorders and timely initiation of treatment is essential. Thus, universal screening of pregnant women for thyroid disorder should be considered especially in a country like India where there is a high prevalence of undiagnosed thyroid disorder.