Does cord blood of thyroid stimulating hormone, t3 and t4 levels in infants differ in different modes of deliveries? : a comparative study

Abstract EN

Objective: To determine whether the levels of cord blood TSH, T3 and T4 are affected by different modes of delivery.

Methods: This study was conducted out at Princess Haya Hospital over five months period (November 2004-March 2005).

Cord blood samples for TSH, T3 and T4 were taken immediately from neonates delivered by normal vaginal delivery and Caesarean Sections either as emergency or elective.

One hundred and fifty cord blood samples were obtained from three groups (group I- 50 neonates delivered by normal vaginal delivery, group II- 50 neonates delivered by emergency Caesarean Section and group III- 50 neonates delivered by elective Caesarean Section).

All mothers of these neonates had no medical problems.

Measurements of TSH, T3 and T4 levels were performed using IMX assay, which is a Micro particle Enzyme Immunoassay (MEIA) for TSH, T4 and T3.

Simple descriptive statistics was used T-test was used to determine statistically difference between the study groups.

Results: The mean level of TSH in the cord blood samples taken from neonates delivered by normal vaginal delivery and emergency Caesarean Section was significantly lower than in elective Caesarean Section (p<0.005; 5.9±1.0 m I/ml, 5.8.±1.3 m I/ml and 7.4 ± 1.4m I/ml respectively).

Regarding T3 and T4, they were significantly higher in elective Caesarean Section than in normal vaginal delivery and in emergency Caesarean Section (p<0.05; T4 and T3 were 4.1±1.1 n g/dl, 6.9+1.5 pg/d L 2.1±1.3 n g/dl 5.5±15 pg/dl and 5.8±1.3 n g/dl and 5.9±2.5 pg/dl, respectively).

Conclusion: Our results showed that TSH, T3 and T4 are lower in normal vaginal delivery and emergency Caesarean Section than in elective Caesarean Section.