Investigation of TSH levels during the 3- 5th days of birth in term and pre-term infants

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is one of the most common causes of hormonal disorders and can be detected through timely screening in new-borns. The present study was conducted with the aim of investigating TSH levels 3- 5th days after birth in term and pre-term infants. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on all live new born babies in Shahroud City 3- 5th days after birth in 2021. From these infants, four - five drops of blood were collected from the heel of the foot and dripped on a special filter paper and TSH levels were measured. Results: In this study, 2498 infants were examined and their TSH levels were recorded four times during CH screening. 1291 (51.7%) people were boys and the rest were girls. Of these, 2353 (94.2%) were full-term babies and the rest were pre-term babies. In the first screening, the TSH level was >20 mu/lit in 142 (5.7%) babies and between 10 and 20 mu/lit in 74 (3%) babies. In the second round of screening, TSH levels were measured in 548 babies, and only 6 babies (1.1%) had TSH levels greater than 10 mu/lit. In the third screening, TSH levels were measured in 94 babies, and in 18 babies (19.1%), TSH levels between 4 and 10 mu/lit were reported. Finally, in the fourth screening, TSH levels were measured in 69 babies, but only in 18 babies (26.1%); it was between 4 and 10 mu/lit. Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that the prevalence of CH in 3 to 5 day old infants in Shahroud City was approximately 16%, and no significant difference was seen between term and pre-term babies. However, it is necessary that in babies whose values have abnormal TSH, screening must be performed in the next appointments.