Although numerous articles have found an association between alterations in thyroid function and the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), other studies have failed to demonstrate this association. This may be due to the different cut-off points used to define subclinical hypothyroidism. We aim to clarify the role of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) level in GDM within pregnant women with normal free thyroxine (fT4) levels. This retrospective cohort study was performed in 6775 pregnant women. The association between TSH and GDM was assessed by bivariate and multivariate logistic regression. Pregnant women with subclinical hypothyroidism are at significantly greater risk for GDM when compared with euthyroid pregnant women (OR = 1.85; 95% CI = 1.36–2.52). We have also observed that TSH levels increase the risk of GDM within euthyroid pregnant women, since the TSH levels between 2.5 and 4.71 showed a higher risk of GDM than those whose TSH levels are between 0.31 and 2.49 (OR = 1.54; 95% CI = 1.28–1.84). In addition, pregnant women with positive thyroid antibodies have almost 2.5 times the risk of developing GDM (OR = 2.47; 95% CI = 1.57–3.89). Our results support that in pregnant women with normal fT4 levels, higher first trimester TSH level implies a higher risk of GDM.

Subclinical hypothyroidism is defined as an elevated thyroid-stimulating hormone level with a normal thyroxin level without signs or symptoms of hypothyroidism. Although it is well accepted that overt hypothyroidism has a deleterious impact on pregnancy, recent studies indicate that subclinical hypothyroidism may affect maternal and fetal health. Studies suggest an association between miscarriage and preterm delivery in euthyroid women positive for anti-peroxidase antibodies and/or anti-thyroglobulin antibodies. A proposal of a new set-point to diagnose SCH was recently published. The aim of this research was to determine the optimal thyroid-stimulating hormone cut-off point to screen for subclinical hypothyroidism in the first trimester of gestation in a population of our clinical area and to determine the diagnostic value of this screening test for detecting anti-thyroid peroxidase antibodies. This cross-sectional study determines the cutoff point for SCH screening and evaluates its usefulness to detect TPO Ab using the Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curve. Prevalence of SCH was calculated using as cut-off 2.5 mIU/L, 4 mIU/L, and our TSH 97.5th percentile. The ability to detect positive anti-thyroglobulin antibodies (TG Ab) and anti-thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPO Ab) in patients with levels of TSH >97.5th percentile was determined by ROC curves. The mean, range and standard deviation of TSH was 2.15 ± 1.34 mIU/L (range 0.03–8.82); FT4 was 1.18 ± 0.13 ng/dL (range 0.94–1.3); TG Ab was 89.87 ± 413.56 IU/mL (range 0.10–4000); and TPO Ab was 21.61 ± 46.27 IU/mL(range 0.10–412.4). The ROC. analysis of the ability of the TSH level to predict the presence of positive TPO Ab found an AUC of 0.563. In our population, the TSH cutoff value for gestational SCH screening is 4.7 mIU/L. Using the SEGO recommended 2.5 mIU/L TSH cut-off point, the prevalence of SCH is 37%. Applying the ATA 2017 recommended cutoff point of 4 mIU/L, the prevalence of SCH is 9.6%. Finally, when the cut-off of 4.7 mIU/L (our 97.5th centile) was used, the SCH prevalence is 5%. TSH levels in the first trimester of pregnancy are not useful to detect TPO Ab.

Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus is associated with increased incidence of adverse perinatal outcomes including newborns large for gestational age, macrosomia, preeclampsia, polyhydramnios, stillbirth, and neonatal morbidity. Thus, fetal growth should be monitored by ultrasound to assess for fetal overnutrition, and thereby, its clinical consequence, macrosomia. However, it is not clear which reference curve to use to define the limits of normality. Our aim is to determine which method, INTERGROWTH21st or customized curves, better identifies the nutritional status of newborns of diabetic mothers.Methods: This retrospective cohort study compared the risk of malnutrition in SGA newborns and the risk of overnutrition in LGA newborns using INTERGROWTH21st and customized birth weight references in gestational diabetes. The nutritional status of newborns was assessed using the ponderal index. Additionally, to determine the ability of both methods in the identification of neonatal malnutrition and overnutrition, we calculate sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and likelihood ratios.Results: Two hundred thirty-one pregnant women with GDM were included in the study. The rate of SGA indentified by INTERGROWTH21st was 4.7% vs 10.7% identified by the customized curves. The rate of LGA identified by INTERGROWTH21st was 25.6% vs 13.2% identified by the customized method. Newborns identified as SGA by the customized method showed a higher risk of malnutrition than those identified as SGA by INTERGROWTH21st. (RR 4.24 vs 2.5). LGA newborns according to the customized method also showed a higher risk of overnutrition than those classified as LGA according to INTERGROWTH21st. (RR 5.26 vs 3.57). In addition, the positive predictive value of the customized method was superior to that of INTERGROWTH21st in the identification of malnutrition (32% vs 27.27%), severe malnutrition (22.73% vs 20%), overnutrition (51.61% vs 32.20%) and severe overnutrition (28.57% vs 14.89%).Conclusions: In pregnant women with DMG, the ability of customized fetal growth curves to identify newborns with alterations in nutritional status appears to exceed that of INTERGROWTH21st.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that indications of c-section in overweight or obese pregnant women are different from those with normal-weight. Methods: Retrospective cohort study at University Hospital of Puerto Real (Cádiz-Spain). We compared frequency distribution of c-section indications in overweight and obese versus normal-weight. The risk of c-section by different indications was calculated as relative risk. Results: A total of 4685 births were included in the study. There are significant differences in the frequency distribution of caesarean indications among normal weight and overweight or obese women. In overweight, we found an increased risk of c-section due to previous c-section (RR: 1.73; confidence interval [CI] 95% 1.24–2.42), obstructed/non-progressive labour (RR: 1.34; CI 95% 1.03–1.75), failed induction of labour (RR: 2.38; CI 95% 1.30–4.34) and foetal distress (RR: 1.73; CI 95% 1.21–2.49). This risk was even higher in obese women: previous c-section (RR: 3.25; CI 95% 2.24–4.71), obstructed/non-progressive labour (RR: 2; CI 95% 1.45–2.77), failed induction (RR: 2.52; CI 95% 1.15–5.51) and foetal distress (RR: 2.35; CI 95% 1.51–3.65). Conclusions: The risk of caesarean section due to previous caesarean section, obstructed/non-progressive labour, failed induction of labour or foetal distress is greater in overweight and obese than in normal-weight. This increase in risk also increases progressively as maternal BMI increases.

Objective The goal of this study was to evaluate the true prevalence of endometrial pathology in asymptomatic postmenopausal estrogen receptor–positive (ER-positive) breast cancer patients and to know whether some patients are particularly at risk. Methods A preliminary cross-sectional study was carried out with 130 postmenopausal ER-positive breast cancer patients. Before any treatment, diagnostic hysteroscopy and endometrial biopsy were performed in all women. Histopathological findings were considered the gold standard in estimating the prevalence of endometrial disease, which was analyzed according to different risk factors. Results Hysteroscopic evaluation was possible in 118 patients (90.7%). Of these patients, 68.6% were older than 60 years, and 51.4% were obese. Endometrial polyps were found in 35 patients (29.6%; 1 polyp with simple hyperplasia), and simple endometrial hyperplasia was found in 1 patient (0.8%), with an overall morbidity of the endometrium of 31.3%. Among all the well-established individual risk factors for endometrial pathology, only patient age, body mass index, and time since menopause were significant predictors of endometrial pathology and/or polyps. There was no statistical difference in the thicknesses of the endometrial lining, but many patients with an endometrial lining of less than 4 mm had polyps of less than 5 mm. Conclusions Asymptomatic postmenopausal women with ER-positive breast cancer have a very high prevalence of baseline subclinical endometrial abnormalities. Therefore, endometrial screening before tamoxifen treatment may be useful in all of these patients, and we believe that it should be performed by hysteroscopy in patients at high risk (obese and older women).