Prevalence of abnormal thyroid stimulating hormone and thyroid peroxidase antibody-positive results in a population of pregnant women in the Samara region of the Russian Federation.

Undiagnosed thyroid disease is a common problem with significant public health implications. This is especially true during pregnancy, when the health of both the mother and the developing child can be adversely affected by abnormal maternal thyroid function. Measurement of serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPO-Ab) are two common ways to assess maternal thyroid status.