[Iodine levels and intake in a population of healthy pregnant women].
OBJECTIVE
To identify iodine levels in the first two trimesters of pregnancy in women attending the primary care center (PCC) of Orihuela (Alicante, Spain), and their relationship with food intake and vitamin supplements.


METHODS
We performed a descriptive prospective study of pregnant women who had a first appointment at the PCC midwifery service in November and December 2005. The variables studied were urinary iodine levels through isolated sample collections, epidemiological variables, and the frequency of intake of iodine-related food and vitamin supplements. The variables were collected using a structured questionnaire administered through a face-to-face interview with the research team in the first and second trimesters of pregnancy.


RESULTS
The sample consisted of 104 women. Of these, 71.6% had iodine deficiency in the first trimester of pregnancy. This percentage was reduced to 30.6% in the second trimester. Statistically significant differences were found in intake of mollusks and vitamin supplements in relation to urinary iodine excretion.


CONCLUSIONS
The mean value of urinary iodine excretion in the pregnant women examined revealed a slight deficiency in iodine intake in the first trimester, which can represent a risk for fetal development.
Paritorio, Hospital de Móstoles, Móstoles, Madrid, España. maboman_es@hotmail.com
M Pilar
MP
Bonet-Manso
M Belén
MB
Atiénzar-Martínez
M Isabel
MI
Fuentes-Gómez
Cristina
C
Plaza-Vicente
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007455:Iodine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D007455:Iodine