Assessment of thyroid function during pregnancy

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Reproductive Medicine
• Clinical Chemistry

Background:

• Thyroid hormones are crucial for maternal and fetal health.
• Pregnancy-induced physiological changes can affect thyroid hormone levels.
• Accurate assessment of thyroid function during pregnancy is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare thyroid hormone levels in pregnant and non-pregnant women.
• To evaluate the reliability of different thyroid function tests during pregnancy.
• To identify the simplest and most effective method for assessing thyroid function in pregnant individuals.

Main Methods:

• Comparison of serum levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroxine (T4), and triiodothyronine (T3).
• Assessment of serum protein binding capacity.
• Measurement of urinary T3 and T4 excretion.

Main Results:

• Serum TSH levels showed no significant alteration throughout pregnancy.
• Total serum T4 and T3 concentrations increased significantly during the first and second trimesters.
• Increased thyroid hormone levels correlated with increased thyroid binding capacity of serum proteins.
• Urinary T3 and T4 excretion in the third trimester was comparable to non-pregnant controls.

Conclusions:

• Thyroid stimulating hormone levels are stable during pregnancy.
• Urinary thyroid hormone excretion provides a simple and reliable method for assessing thyroid function in pregnant women.
• This method is recommended for clinical practice during pregnancy.