Abstract
Background: Congenital Hypothyroidism (CH) is defined as the deficiency of thyroid hormones in newborns that results to possible developmental disabilities if left untreated. That is a reason why early diagnosis and treatment interventions are highly effective in avoiding the further deterioration of the negative outcomes. The occurrence of CH differs from country to country, therefore, investigating its rates and determinants at the local level is warranted.
Aim: The objectives of this study are to establish the prevalence rate of CH in neonates admitted to the tertiary care facility, to define the risk factors of this condition, and to assess the efficiency of the screening procedures applied.
Methods: This quantitative study is a cross-sectional descriptive study carried out over one year in a tertiary care teaching hospital. One thousand neonates were included in the study and screened for CH using TSH and T4 which were obtained by blood sampling through heel prick. Demographic information, maternal health status and details of the births were obtained. Data analysis was done using SPSS to get prevalence rates and test hypotheses on risk factors, while sensitivity and specificity of the adopted screening method were determined.
Results: The source indicates that the prevalence rate of CH in the study was equal to 0. Six per thousand live births or six per cent. Potentially highly relevant factors that were found are maternal thyroid disorders and preterm delivery. The results of the screening method showed high efficiency and reliability, the percentage of positive results was 75%, while the failures were not identified among the negative results. Further analysis showed some relations between CH and congenital heart defects existence and vulnerability of CH development in families with lower socioeconomic status.
Conclusion: Furthermore, the study proves that early detection and intervention in CH patients can help to have better neonatal outcomes. This was the case since the tertiary care hospital had a well-developed screening program hence, the prevalence rate recorded was comparatively low. These results indicate the need to pursue public health interventions that promote and sustain newborn screening and prenatal care of populations at a higher risk.
Keywords: CH, Neonates, Incidence, Detection, Antecedents, Tertiary Care Hospital, NBS, MHA, PPHP