Incidence of Congenital Hypothyroidism in Infants Born to Hypothyroid Mothers

Background: To determine the association between maternal hypothyroidism and the incidence of congenital hypothyroidism (CH) in neonates, and to assess clinical profiles among these infants.Methods: This was a cross-sectional observational study conducted at a tertiary care Armed Forces hospital from August 2018 to May 2020.A total of 380 neonates born to hypothyroid mothers were evaluated.Neonatal thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) was measured at 72 hours of life.CH was defined as TSH >20 mIU/L.Results: None of the neonates had TSH levels >20 mIU/L.However, clinical features such as irritability, jaundice, lethargy, and poor cry were significantly associated with higher (yet normal) TSH values (p < 0.05).Conclusion: Maternal hypothyroidism could not be established as a risk factor for CH.Certain neonatal clinical signs showed a significant association with elevated TSH values, suggesting the need to revisit TSH thresholds for early detection.