Screening for congenital hypothyroidism by using cord blood thyroid stimulating hormone (CBTSH) levels in neonates.

Background: Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is the most common preventable cause of mental retardation in children. Hypothyroidism in the neonatal period is always overlooked, and delayed discovery results in the most devastating outcomes, such as mental retardation, stressing the importance of newborn screening, which is one of the major achievements in preventive medicine. According to previous studies, Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone (TSH) screening is more specific for identifying CH. TSH levels in umbilical cord blood remain an easy and useful means to screen for congenital hypothyroidism, and it is widely documented that maternal and neonatal factors influence Cord Blood Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (CBTSH) levels. The current study was conducted to screen for and determine the effects of various perinatal and maternal variables on CBTSH levels.

Objectives: To evaluate the incidence of congenital hypothyroidism using CBTSH) levels and to examine the influence of maternal and perinatal factors on these levels.

Material and methods: This cross-sectional study included 106 neonates. Samples were collected from the neonatal ward of a tertiary care hospital in urban south Karnataka, India. An umbilical cord blood sample was collected, and the CBTSH assay was performed using the electrochemiluminescence method. The data obtained were statistically analyzed.

Result: In the present study, the mean cord blood TSH level was 6.20 ± 5.90 μIU/ml. There was a statistically significant association between the mean CBTSH level and maternal complications (Age, mode of delivery, gravida, and prenatal hypothyroidism status). A higher CBTSH level was found in preterm babies with an APGAR score of <7, vaginal deliveries, primigravida, male sex, and low-birth-weight babies.

Conclusion: This study found a significant association between CBTSH levels and maternal health problems. Preterm newborns with an appearance, pulse, grimace, activity, and respiration score of <7, normal vaginal delivery, primigravida, male sex, and low birth weight had higher CBTSH levels.