Research Article

Association of Unexplained Feeding Intolerance with Congenital Hypothyroidism in Preterm Neonates: A Missing Link

Aimen Tahir, Rafia Gul, Lubna Asghar, Muhammad Usman

Journal of Islamabad Medical and Dental College · Vol. 14, No. 4 · Published December 20, 2025 · DOI: 10.35787/jimdc.v14i4.1444

iD ORCID iD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0605-7089 · View All Publications by Dr. Rafia Gul

In Brief

Some premature babies cannot tolerate their milk feeds. They have a swollen tummy, vomiting or reflux, and no clear cause is found. This study asked whether an underactive thyroid from birth (congenital hypothyroidism) might be hiding behind these feeding problems.

Key Points

• A descriptive study of 102 otherwise healthy preterm neonates with unexplained feeding intolerance, in the neonatology department of Fatima Memorial Hospital, Lahore, from May 2023 to April 2024.
• About 37% of the babies (38 of 102) were diagnosed with hypothyroidism. A swollen abdomen, alone or with larger stomach residuals or reflux, was the feeding problem most strongly linked to it.
• Maternal factors (parity, bleeding before delivery and chorioamnionitis) and newborn factors (low 5-minute APGAR scores, jaundice and hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus) were also linked to hypothyroidism.
• The authors conclude that about one in three preterm babies with feeding intolerance had hypothyroidism, so prompt screening and treatment are important.

Abdominal DistentionFeeding IntoleranceHypothyroidism NICUPrematurityRefluxVomiting

Published in the Journal of Islamabad Medical and Dental College, Vol. 14, No. 4 (October–December 2025), Original Articles. PDF shared by the authors.