Introduction: Nephrotic syndrome is a glomerular disease characterized by massive urinary protein loss occurring in children. Proteinuria also leads to loss of thyroid binding globulin affecting thyroid function. This study aimed to find out the prevalence of hypothyroidism among children with nephrotic syndrome admitted to a tertiary care centre.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among children with nephrotic syndrome admitted to a tertiary care centre from 06 July 2020 to 06 June 2021 after obtaining ethical approval from the Ethical Review Committee. They were tested for free T3, free T4 and TSH. A convenience sampling method was used. The point estimate was calculated at a 90% Confidence Interval.
Results: Among 69 children with nephrotic syndrome, the prevalence of hypothyroidism was 49 (71.01%) (62.03-80.00, 90% Confidence Interval).
Conclusions: The prevalence of hypothyroidism among children with nephrotic syndrome was higher than other studies done in similar settings.
Keywords: children; hypothyroidism; nephrotic syndrome; prevalence.