[Urinary iodine levels within normal range in German school-age children].
BACKGROUND
Recent regional investigations have shown that the abolition of the requirement to declare iodine in foodstuffs and the greater emphasis on information about goitre prevention led to an increase in urinary iodine excretion in Germany. There was also a decrease in thyroid size and goitre prevalence in children. No up to date results for the whole of Germany are available.


METHODS
In 1999 we examined the urinary iodine excretion in the spontaneous morning urine of 3,065 healthy 6- to 12-year-old school children in 128 places from all over Germany. The iodine was measured by the Cer-arsenit method.


RESULTS
The median iodine excretion amounted to 148 micrograms/l. There were no significant differences between age groups, sexes or regions. 73% had no iodine deficiency (> 100 micrograms/l). In 20% the deficiency was slight (50-99 micrograms/l), in 6% moderate (20-49 micrograms/l) and in 1% there was a severe iodine deficiency (< 20 micrograms/l). 8% excreted > 300 micrograms iodide per liter urine.


CONCLUSIONS
According to the WHO guidelines, there is no longer a iodine deficiency in Germany--at least among children prior to puberty.
Hampel
R
R
Klinik für Innere Medizin, Abteilung für Endokrinologie und Stoffwechselkrankheiten, Universität Rostock. rainer.hampel@med.uni-rostock.de
Beyersdorf-Radeck
B
B
Below
H
H
Demuth
M
M
Seelig
K
K
D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005527:Food, Fortified; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006043:Goiter, Endemic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D007455:Iodine / Q000172:deficiency / Q000652:urine*; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000379:methods*; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012574:Schools
D007455:Iodine