Thyroid function and autoantibody status among women who spontaneously deliver under 35 weeks of gestation

Abstract

Objective Recent studies report an association between maternal thyroid auto-antibodies and preterm birth. None have made the important distinction between spontaneous and iatrogenic preterm birth. We investigated the association between spontaneous preterm birth before 35-week gestation and both thyroid function and auto-antibody status. Design Retrospective nested case-control study, samples retrieved from a biobank of around 8000 samples. Patients Forty-six cases of spontaneous preterm birth <35-weeks gestation compared with 124 cases who delivered at 40 weeks gestation, matched for maternal age and duration of serum storage. All resulted in a singleton liveborn. Measurements First trimes..