Maternal and fetal outcome in COVID 19 positive pregnant women with thyroid dysfunction

Background: Normally functioning thyroid glands are able to meet the increasing need for hormones during pregnancy and keep thyroid hormone levels within normal limits. However thyroid dysfunction in pregnancy can cause adverse maternal and fetal outcomes like pre-eclampsia and gestational hypertension, antepartum hemorrhage, anemia, preterm delivery, low birth weight and addition of SARS-CoV-19 infection can worsen the perinatal outcome. In present ambispective study, obstetric outcomes of 32 cases of COVID 19 positive pregnant women with thyroid dysfunction (Group A) were compared with 32 cases of COVID 19 negative pregnant women with thyroid dysfunction (Group B).
Results: Pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) was the most common antepartum complication noted in both the groups (28.1% vs 12.5%). Group-A had 40.6% LSCS rate whereas it was 37.5% in group-B. Average period of gestation at delivery was 38 weeks in both the groups. The most common neonatal complication was low birth weight (9.4%) in both the groups. Group A was also associated with meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS) (9.4%), neonatal sepsis (6.2%) and transient tachypnoea of newborn (TTN) (3.1%). NICU admissions were 37.5% in group A while only 6.25% in group B. (p value <0.01). Most common indication for NICU admission was MAS (9.4%) in group A. It was observed that incidence of pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) and neonatal complications including NICU admissions were increased in presence of both COVID 19 and thyroid disorder as compared to only thyroid disorder in pregnancy. Multi-disciplinary approach with more vigilant monitoring can help reduce perinatal morbidity and mortality.