Cureus. 2026 Mar 5;18(3):e104741. doi: 10.7759/cureus.104741. eCollection 2026 Mar.
ABSTRACT
Hypothyroidism is among the most prevalent endocrine disorders complicating pregnancy, leading to a broad range of adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes, especially when thyroid function is inadequately managed. Despite the significant disease burden in India, regional evidence on the impact of uncontrolled hypothyroidism on fetomaternal outcomes remains scarce. This prospective observational study evaluated the socio-demographic profile, maternal morbidities, neonatal outcomes, and influence of thyroid control status on pregnancy outcomes among hypothyroid pregnant women at a tertiary care center in Central India. Conducted in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Jaya Arogya (J.A.) Group of Hospitals, Gwalior, from May 2023 to April 2024, the study included 215 pregnant women diagnosed with hypothyroidism. Data on socio-demographic characteristics, obstetric history, treatment status, maternal complications, and neonatal outcomes were collected using a pretested semi-structured proforma. Participants were categorised into controlled and uncontrolled groups based on thyroid function status. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, V. 25.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA), with categorical variables expressed as frequencies and percentages and associations assessed using chi-squared tests. The mean age of participants was 26.62 ± 5.09 years. The most common maternal complications were anaemia (48%), postpartum haemorrhage (28%), and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) (24.6%), while low birth weight (43.7%), preterm birth (19.1%), and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission (16.8%) were the predominant neonatal adverse outcomes. Uncontrolled hypothyroidism was significantly associated with higher rates of anaemia, IUGR, gestational diabetes mellitus, oligohydramnios, preterm birth, low birth weight, NICU admission, and postpartum haemorrhage (p < 0.05 for all). These findings highlight that uncontrolled hypothyroidism significantly increases maternal and neonatal morbidity, emphasizing the need for early detection, regular monitoring, and optimal treatment to improve fetomaternal outcomes, particularly in resource-limited settings.
PMID:41943749 | PMC:PMC13050565 | DOI:10.7759/cureus.104741
