Effect of iodine prophylaxis during pregnancy on neurocognitive development of children during the first two years of life.
BACKGROUND
The association between thyroid function during pregnancy and the later mental and psychomotor development of the child is supported by numerous experimental, clinical, and epidemiological studies.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to evaluate the psychological development of infants aged 3 to 18 months whose mothers had received 300 microg of potassium iodide during the first trimester of their pregnancy and compare with infants whose mothers had received no iodine supplements.


METHODS
The study included 133 women who had received 300 microg of potassium iodine and 61 women who had received no iodine supplements.


METHODS
The neuropsychological status of the children was evaluated with the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, and measurements were made of TSH, free T(3), free T(4), and urinary iodine.


RESULTS
Those children whose mothers had received an iodine supplement of 300 microg had a more favorable psychometric assessment than those of the other group of mothers. They had higher scores on the Psychomotor Development Index (P = 0.02) and the Behavior Rating Scale.


CONCLUSIONS
Dietary iodine supplements not only have no harmful effect on the neurodevelopment of the children, they may even be beneficial. Given the possible presence of confounding variables not controlled for in this study, these findings should be considered as preliminary.
Velasco
Ines
I
Hospital La Merced, 41640 Osuna, Spain.
Carreira
Monica
M
Santiago
Piedad
P
Muela
José Antonio
JA
García-Fuentes
Eduardo
E
Sánchez-Muñoz
Baltasar
B
Garriga
Maria J
MJ
González-Fernández
Maria C
MC
Rodríguez
Alvaro
A
Caballero
Francisco F
FF
Machado
Alberto
A
González-Romero
Stella
S
Anarte
Maria T
MT
Soriguer
Federico
F
D000328:Adult; D002657:Child Development; D003071:Cognition; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007455:Iodine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000652:urine; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000502:physiology; D013963:Thyroid Hormones / Q000097:blood
D013963:Thyroid Hormones; D007455:Iodine