Offspring of Mothers with graves’ disease followed-up for the first six months of life: A retrospective study from a Nigerian Teaching Hospital

ABSTRACT

@#The offspring of a mother with Graves’ disease is at increased risk of morbidity (both immediate as well as long term) and mortality. The aim of the study was to retrospectively assess the concentrations of the serum Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH), Thyroxine (T4) and Triiodothyronine (T3) as well as the anthropometric measurements in the first 6 months of life among offspring of mothers with Graves’ disease. In this study, the case files of all infants born to mothers with Graves’ disease who were referred to the Paediatric Endocrinology Clinic, University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Benin City were retrieved and audited. The thyroid function tests (TFT) results as well the anthropometric data obtained in the first 6 months of life for offspring of mothers with Graves’ disease were recorded. Of the 10 neonates born to mothers with Graves’ disease, the thyroid function was normal in eight (80.0%) and abnormal in two (20.0%). Of the two infants with abnormal thyroid function, one had Transient Hyperthyrotropinaemia (elevated TSH with normal fT4) and the other had Euthyroid Hyperthyroxinaemia (elevated fT4 with normal TSH and no clinical symptoms). No case of neonatal Graves’ disease was observed. In the first 6 months of life, there was no statistically significant difference in anthropometric measurements between offspring of mothers with Graves’ disease and their counterparts whose mothers did not have Graves’ disease. Conclusion: Majority of infants born to mothers with Graves’ disease had normal thyroid function but the two leading abnormality of thyroid function observed in the newborn were Transient Hyperthyrotropinaemia and Euthyroid Hyperthyroxinaemia. No statistically significant difference was observed in the anthropometric measurements of offspring of mothers with Graves’ disease and those of mothers without Graves’ disease