Kerbala Journal of Medicine

Abstract

Background: Mild impairment of thyroid function may contribute to disturbed reproductive function. Objective: To evaluate the role of thyroid hormones in maintaining early pregnancy and their association with the outcome of the threatened abortion.Materials and methods: The study was carried out in Maternity and pediatric Teaching Hospital in Al-Najaf during period between 1st April to 1st September 2008. The study included 80 pregnant women divided into two groups 50 women with threatened abortion and 30 women with normal pregnancy of comparable age, parity, gestational age and body mass index (BMI). Both groups were subjected to clinical examination, obstetric ultrasound examination and were investigated for hemoglobin, total thyroxine (TT4), total tri-iodothyronine (TT3) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). The group of threatened abortion women divided into two groups where 31 women had a positive outcome (continuation of pregnancy to the third trimester) and 19 women had a negative outcome (pregnancy ended with spontaneous abortion). Results: There was a significant difference in the level of TT3 and TSH between the control group and the women with threatened abortion (lower TT3 and higher TSH in threatened abortion women) with no significant difference in TT4 between the two groups while TT3and TT4 levels were significantly reduced in the women with negative outcome as compared with the women with a positive outcome while the TSH level was significantly increased in the women with negative outcome. Conclusion: reduced levels of thyroid hormones in early pregnancy may contribute to some cases of spontaneous abortion.Key words: thyroid hormones, pregnancy, abortion.