Reference Ranges Of Thyroid Function Tests For Infants Under One Year Age in Nineveh province, Iraq

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Asmaa Talal Mahmood, Hazim A. Mohammed , Ahmed Hekmat Shakir

Abstract

 Background: The reference ranges(RRs) in pediatric age group is difficult because of the continual physiological changes that occur during childhood period of life.


Aims: The main objective of this study is to establish the RRs  for  Thyroid Stimulating Hormone(TSH) and Free Thyroxin (FT4) for healthy infants below age of one year in Nineveh province, Iraq, based on their sex and age.


Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on one hundred twenty-four healthy infants (62males,62 females, age range from 2 days to 1 year) .The blood samples were collected at Ibn Al-Atheer Teaching Hospital,   from  October 2023 to April  2024  after obtaining ethical approval from the committee of Ethics at Nineveh Health Directorate, Nineveh, Iraq with the consent of their parents . They were divided into three groups: G1=0–14 days,G2= 15–30 days, and G3=1–12 months .Serum TSH and FT4 were analyzed using enzyme linked fluorescent assay method by Mini Vidas .


Results:  The RRs were established using  a non-parametric method of statistical analysis of TSH and FT4. The  RRs were determined using the 2.5% and 97.5 % percentiles, median, range and 95% CI of mean.  The mean TSH (µIU/ml) values of females G1 =7.19±6.81, G 2 =2.16±1.58 and G 3 =2.23±1.39 (p<0.01)and that for males groups G1=6.50±7.51, G 2=3.09±1.52 and G 3 =2.72±1.72 ,(p<0.01). The mean FT4(pmol/L) values of females G1=25.01±5.44, G 2=21.00±2.46 and G 3 =18.70±3.42 , (p<0.0001) and that for males G1=22.75±5.40, G 2 = 18.66±3.09 and G 3=19.42±3.53 , (p<0.009) for males groups.


Conclusions. Higher mean values of  FT4 and TSH are noted in the (0-14 days) age group for both sex. No sex difference of mean TSH and FT4 across the three age groups. The 2.5th%-97.5th%  percentile for TSH of males obviously higher than that of females for  similar age groups, while the reverse of Ft4 is found.

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