Iodine deficiency: a probable cause of neural tube defect.
BACKGROUND
Iodine deficiency is the most devastating event in developing brain in the fetus and neonate. Iodine is absolutely necessary on the myelination, neuronal differentiation, and formation of neural processes, synaptogenesis, and neuronal migration by thyroidal hormones throughout pregnancy and shortly after birth. Neural tube defects (NTD) form after third and fourth gestational weeks and their etiologies are multifactorial.


METHODS
We herein present a male newborn with iodine deficiency and thoracic neuroenteric cyst bound to a myelomeningocele via a pedinculi. We hypothesize that iodine deficiency may be a cause of NTD, and iodine supplementation in preconception and pregnancy may prevent NTD.
Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey. drdilekcoban@yahoo.com.tr
Dilek
D
Sarici
Mustafa Ali
MA
Akin
Selim
S
Kurtoglu
Leyla
L
Akin
Bulent
B
Tucer
Ali
A
Yikilmaz
Abdulkerim
A
Gokoglu
D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007455:Iodine / Q000172:deficiency*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008591:Meningomyelocele / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology; D009436:Neural Tube Defects / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology
D007455:Iodine