EVALUATING THYROID FUNCTIONS IN MOTHERS WITH SMALL FOR GESTATIONAL AGE AND APPROPRIATE FOR GESTATIONAL AGE NEONATES: INSIGHTS FROM A PAKISTANI CASE-CONTROL STUDY

Objective: To evaluate differences in maternal thyroid hormone levels between mothers of Small for gestational age (SGA) and Appropriate for gestational age (AGA) newborns in Pakistan. Methods: This case-control study was conducted among AGA and SGA mothers at Lady Reading Hospital and KMU in Peshawar. After screening 300 postnatal mothers and applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 63 participants were enrolled, including 32 SGA mothers and 31 AGA mothers. The sample size was determined using the online software OpenEPI, assuming a confidence interval of 95%. Healthy mothers of AGA and SGA newborns were included. Thyroid Profiles were compared to the baby’s gestational ages. Mothers' socio-demographic, socioeconomic, and reproductive history were all gathered through questionnaires. Anthropometric measurements were done. Blood sampling was done to estimate the thyroid profile of the participant mothers, including TSH, fT4, and fT3. Data Analysis was done using SPSS version 26. Results: In the present study, differences in the thyroid hormone profile, including fT3, fT4, and TSH, were explored in sixty-three (1-7 days postnatal) mothers aged between 16-35 years (Mean ± SD; 24.75 ±5.06 years). The results showed no difference in the Means of fT4, fT3, and TSH among the two study groups. The Body Mass Index (BMI) of 44.4% of mothers was in the normal range. The frequency of SGA babies’ mothers with normal BMI was less than the mothers of AGA babies (SGA=34.4%, AGA=54.8 %). Upon comparison with AGA mothers, SGA mothers were found to be of short stature. A comparison of previous SGA history was also found to be significant. Conclusion: There was no appreciable difference between the thyroid hormone levels of mothers of the two groups.