title: Iodine deficiency in pregnant women in Austria.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In Austria, iodine deficiency has been considered to be eliminated owing to table salt fortification with iodine, but whether this also applies to pregnant women is unclear. Even mild iodine deficiency during gestation may lead to neurocognitive sequelae in the offspring.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a cross-sectional investigation of urinary iodine excretion in 246 pregnant women (first trimester n=2, second trimester n=53, third trimester n=191, gestational diabetes mellitus n=115, no gestational diabetes mellitus n=131). The iodine content of morning spot urine samples was determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pregnant women in the Vienna area had a median urinary iodine concentration (UIC) of 87 μg/l. Only 13.8% of the cohort were in the recommended range of 150-249 μg/l, whereas 21.5% had a UIC of 0-49 μg/l, 40.2% had a UIC of 50-99 μg/l and 19.5% had a UIC of 100-149 μg/l. In all, 4.9% had a UIC over 250 μg/l. A total of 137 women of foreign origin had a significantly higher iodine excretion compared with Austrian-born women. Maternal or gestational age had no influence on UIC. Although 79 women on iodine supplementation had a significantly higher iodine concentration compared with women without iodine supplementation (97.3 vs 80.1 μg/l, P=0,006), their UIC was below the recommended range, indicating that doses of 100-150 μg per day are not sufficient to normalize iodine excretion. Sodium and iodine concentrations in the urine were tightly correlated (R=0.539, n=61), suggesting that low intake of iodized salt might contribute to insufficient iodine supply.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study shows that pregnant women in the Vienna area have a potentially clinically significant iodine deficiency and that currently recommended doses of iodine supplementation may not be sufficient.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine III, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lindorfer
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine III, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krebs
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine III, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kautzky-Willer
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Fetomaternal Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bancher-Todesca
authors.affiliation: Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sager
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine III, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gessl
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001317:Austria / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000652:urine; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007455:Iodine / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000652:urine; D008875:Middle Aged; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000652:urine; D011264:Pregnancy Trimesters; D012964:Sodium / Q000652:urine; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D007455:Iodine; D012964:Sodium