Study of Perinatal Outcome and Neonatal Hypothyroidism in Pregnant Women with Hypothyroidism Delivering in a Tertiary Care Centre in Western Nepal

Introduction: Hypothyroidism is a common endocrine problem in pregnant women with a reported prevalence of 1.5 to 4.4%. Both overt and subclinical hypothyroidism have adverse effects on perinatal outcome. Aim and Objective: To find the prevalence of hypothyroidism in pregnancy and its impact on perinatal outcome and neonatal hypothyroidism in a tertiary centre in western Nepal. Methods: This is a retrospective descriptive study conducted from April 2018 to April 2022 involving 75 hypothyroid pregnant women during their antenatal check-ups. It also included known cases of hypothyroidism. The hospital records of all the hypothyroid women who delivered in this centre were reviewed. The prevalence of subclinical and overt hypothyroidism were calculated. The relationship between the status of hypothyroidism and perinatal outcome in terms of mode of delivery, APGAR scores, birth weight and admission to neonatal intensive care unit were evaluated. Results: The prevalence of maternal hypothyroidism was 0.92% with subclinical hypothyroidism being 0.29% and overt hypothyroidism being 0.63%. The perinatal outcomes in terms of mode of delivery, APGAR scores, birth weight and admission to neonatal intensive care unit were not statistically significant between subclinical and overt hypothyroidism. Conclusion: The prevalence of maternal hypothyroidism, especially subclinical hypothyroidism was low. There were no significant adverse effects on perinatal outcome.