Impacts of hypothyroidism on clinical, delivery, and fetal outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of preexisting hypothyroidism on the course of coronavirus disease 2019 and on delivery and fetal outcomes in pregnant women with coronavirus disease 2019.

METHODS

Two groups of pregnant women with coronavirus disease 2019 were included, that is, those with no comorbid condition and those with preexisting hypothyroidism as the sole comorbid condition. We assessed the course of coronavirus disease 2019 and delivery and fetal outcomes in the two groups.

RESULTS

Of 167 participants, 143 had no preexisting comorbidity, and 24 had hypothyroidism as the sole comorbid condition. Patients with hypothyroidism had significantly higher incidences of severe coronavirus disease 2019 and the following coronavirus disease 2019 symptoms: shortness of breath, loss of sense of smell and/or taste, and tachypnea. Hospital (length of stay, intensive care unit admission and stay, mortality), delivery (normal vaginal delivery, cesarean section, and emergency cesarean section), and fetal (preterm, birth weight, 1- and 5-min Appearance, Pulse, Grimace, Activity, and Respiration scores, stillbirth) outcomes were similar in the two groups. The outcomes were also similar in patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019, though those with hypothyroidism had shorter hospital stay and intensive care unit stay and lower rates of intensive care unit admission, mortality, emergency cesarean section, preterm delivery, and low birth weight newborns.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that preexisting hypothyroidism has adverse impacts on the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 and its symptoms. Considering severe coronavirus disease 2019 cases, seemingly favorable hospital, delivery, and fetal outcomes on the part of hypothyroidism may be worth further research.