title: Prevalence of iodine deficiency among pregnant and lactating women: Experience in Kolkata.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The cross-sectional study was carried out to assess the iodine status of pregnant and lactating mothers, using median urinary iodine excretion (UIE) as the measure of outcome, to document the prevalence of iodine deficiency.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present study assessed the UIE in the morning urine samples from 237 pregnant women, 73 lactating mothers and 59 healthy non-pregnant female controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of 237 pregnant women, 88 (37%) exhibited insufficient iodine nutrition (UIE < 150 μg/l), out of 73 lactating mothers, 24 (33%) exhibited insufficient iodine nutrition (UIE < 100 μg/l) and only 3% female control subjects exhibited insufficient iodine nutrition (UIE < 100μg/l). Additionally, a number (32.3%) of babies born of iodine deficient mothers had respiratory distress at birth.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It appears that the present salt iodination program is adequate for the general population but insufficient for the pregnant and lactating mothers. They need to be targeted with iodine supplements throughout pregnancy and lactation. Increased incidence of respiratory distress in the new born of iodine deficient mothers merits further study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Kali Pada Chaudhuri Medical College, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Anirban
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Majumder
authors.affiliation: Department of Home Science, Calcutta University, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Arvinda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jaiswal
authors.affiliation: Vivekananda Institute of Medical Sciences, West Bengal University of Health Sciences, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Sudip
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chatterjee
keywords: Gestation; iodine deficiency; pregnancy; thyroid; urinary iodine excretion