1 research outputs found
Thyroid function in healthy and unhealthy preterm newborns
Background: The thyroid gland and hormonal regulation are among the
most important systems to be investigated in pre-term infants. This
study sought to investigate thyroid hormone levels of healthy and
unhealthy pre-term infants. Methods: The prospective study included 53
consecutive premature infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care
unit within a duration of one year. Of these preterm babies, 20 were
healthy, while 33 had problems such as asphyxia or RDS. Venous blood
samples were collected at baseline 0-24 hours, 7 and 14 days and FT3,
FT4, and TSH levels were determined. Other data recorded included
demographic characteristics of the patients and clinical variables.
Results: The most frequent health problems were RDS (87.9%), sepsis
(30.3%), and retinopathy of prematurity (24.2%). The mean TSH levels
showed a consistent decline at three consequent measurements in both
groups, which were always significantly lower in unhealthy pre-terms.
In both groups, TSH levels showed significant decreases on Day 7 and
Day 14 compared to the baseline levels (p<005). The levels of FT3
and FT4 consistently showed significant correlations with gestational
week and birth weight at each of the three measurements. Conclusion:
Pre-term infants, especially those having problems, have significant
hypothyroxinemia that may require thyroid hormone replacement therapy