Effect of mildly elevated thyroid-stimulating hormone during the first trimester on adverse pregnancy outcomes

BACKGROUND: To investigate the effect of a mildly elevated thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) concentration between 2.5 and 4.0 mIU/L during the first trimester on pregnancy outcomes in thyroid peroxydase antibody (TPOAb)-negative pregnant women. METHODS: A total of 1858 pregnant women who were TPOAb-negative before 13(+ 6) gestational weeks, received regular prenatal services, and delivered in the third affiliated hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University were recruited from June 2016 to June 2017. Measurements of thyroid function (TSH, free T4 [FT4] and TPOAb) and adverse pregnancy outcomes were assessed and recorded. RESULTS: Among the 1858 study participants, the 97.5th percentile for TSH was 3.76 mIU/L, and 142 women (7.6%) had mildly elevated TSH levels between 2.5 and 4.0 mIU/L. No differences in the incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes were observed between patients with a mildly elevated TSH level and those with a normal TSH level (< 2.5 mIU/L). CONCLUSION: A mildly elevated TSH concentration (2.5–4.0 mIU/L) during the first trimester of pregnancy in TPOAb-negative women was not associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes in our study population. Accordingly, it may be possible to raise the upper limit of the healthy TSH reference range for pregnant women.