Relative Frequency of Thyroid Disorders in Pregnant Women at a Maternity Clinic in Isfahan, Iran

Document Type : Original Article (s)

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

2 Student of Medicine, School of Medicine AND Student Research Committee, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

Abstract

Background: Thyroid disorders are common among women in Iran. Moreover, many of the affected women in reproductive age are unaware of their disease. Infertility or recurrent abortion may happen in women with hypothyroidism. Therefore, the diagnosis and treatment of them are very important. This survey was carried out to realize the proportion of the hypothyroidism in pregnant women and underline the necessity of screening of this group for thyroid disorders. Methods: This survey was a descriptive study conducted in Shahid Beheshti University Hospital (Iran) from October 2010 to September 2011. During the time course of the study, a total of 1102 pregnant women who had referred to this medical center for receiving prenatal care, were studied for the level of thyroid-stimulating hormone. Findings: The prevalence of hypothyroidism in our study was 36.9% (407 women); of whom, 43 individuals (10.6%) were diagnosed as having thyroid disorders. No significant relationship was found between hypothyroidism and age, history of abortion, level of education, and the amount of fish they ate. Conclusion: Regarding the fact that the serious consequences of hypothyroidism for the fetus cannot be neglected, it is essential to screen the women seeking prenatal care by thyroid-stimulating hormone test as one of their routine evaluations. Keywords: Thyroid diseases, Hypothyroidism, Pregnant women