Prevalence of Hypothyroidism in Pregnancy and Its Associations with Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes Among Pregnant Women in A General Hospital: A Cross Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND

Hypothyroidism affects 3-5% of all pregnant mothers, making it the most common thyroid disorder associated with pregnancy. Furthermore, it is associated with adverse outcomes of pregnancy and newborn. Therefore, this research is aimed at determining the magnitude and pregnancy adverse outcomes associated with hypothyroidism among pregnant women having maternity services in a general hospital in Somalia.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted on pregnant women who delivered in the hospital between December 2022 and May 2023. Subjects were selected through systematic sampling and data collected through an interviewer-based questionnaire. Adjusted odds ratios (AORs) of P values and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the correlation between variables.

RESULTS

The prevalence of hypothyroidism was 23.6% (95% CI: [19.4-27.8]). Overt DM (AOR=9.125, CI (3.106-26.812)), History of Recurrent pregnancy loss (AOR=12.938, CI (4.958-33.763), hypertension during pregnancy (AOR=6.718, CI (2.326-19.994)) and preterm delivery (AOR=7.015, CI (3.234-13.958)) were variables associated with hypothyroidism in pregnancy.

CONCLUSION

The study has shown a high prevalence of hypothyroidism during pregnancy at Daruxannan Hospital compared to previous studies around the world. This finding highlights the need for national and regional surveys to identify the prevalence and associated factors that contribute to hypothyroidism in pregnancy to set up interventions and determine policy directions.