Objective: The correlation between serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels in pregnant women and their neonatal cord blood was explored.
Methods: With immunoradiometric assay (IRMA) technique, the serum TSH levels of 500 pregnant women and the cord blood TSH levels in the iodine deficiency areas (study group) were tested, while the TSH levels of 100 normal pregnant women and their newborns in iodine sufficient areas (control group) were compared.
Results: (1) In pregnant women, the mean serum TSH level in study group was significantly higher than that of control [(5.25 +/- 2.43) mU/L VS (4.69 +/- 1.34) mU/L, P < 0.01]. In newborns, the mean cord blood TSH level in study group was significantly higher than that of control (6.83 +/- 4.71) mU/L VS (5.32 +/- 3.02) mU/L, P < 0.001]. (2) The serum TSH levels in pregnant women were positively correlated with the cord blood TSH levels of their newborns in both groups. (3) The serum TSH levels of pregnant women was negatively correlated with their free triiodothy-ronine levels.
Conclusion: The iodine nutrition status of newborns could be evaluated by monitoring the TSH levels of pregnant women.