title: The Importance of Adequate Iodine during Pregnancy and Infancy.
abstract: Iodine requirements are increased ≥50% during pregnancy. Iodine deficiency during pregnancy can cause maternal and fetal hypothyroidism and impair neurological development of the fetus. The consequences depend upon the timing and severity of the hypothyroidism; the most severe manifestation is cretinism. In iodine-deficient areas, controlled studies have demonstrated that iodine supplementation before or during early pregnancy eliminates new cases of cretinism, increases birth weight, reduces rates of perinatal and infant mortality and generally increases developmental scores in young children by 10-20%. Mild-to-moderate maternal iodine deficiency can cause thyroid dysfunction, but whether it impairs cognitive and/or neurological function in the offspring remains uncertain. In nearly all regions affected by iodine deficiency, salt iodization is the most cost-effective way of delivering iodine and improving maternal and infant health.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Human Nutrition, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Michael B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Zimmermann
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002657:Child Development / Q000187:drug effects; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects; D003409:Congenital Hypothyroidism / Q000097:blood / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D007455:Iodine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood* / Q000172:deficiency*; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D011247:Pregnancy; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary; C034024:iodized salt; D007455:Iodine