Pregnant women should avoid iodine deficiency

Imminent damage to the unborn child due to iodine deficiency during pregnancy

01/22/2015

Iodine deficiency in pregnant women can lead to impairment of the brain development of the unborn child, which is why women ideally should increase their iodine intake in advance, according to a joint study by the MedUni Vienna and the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES). The study was published in the specialist magazine „European Journal of Clinical Nutrition“.

According to the researchers, pregnant women in Austria often suffer from iodine deficiency, which also occurs when they start to take prescribed iodine supplements during pregnancy. Let this go „The conclusion is that women should take more iodine already if they plan to become pregnant“, The study authors Heidelinde Lindorfer and Alois Gessl from the University Department of Internal Medicine III of the MedUni Vienna report.

Austrian population with latent iodine deficiency
In the Austrian population, according to the scientists anyway „given a certain lack of this important trace element“, which is related to the fact that Austria has one of the lowest iodinations of salt in the world. Only 15 to a maximum of 20 milligrams per kilogram of salt are provided here, whereas the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends 20 to 40 milligrams per kilogram of salt. The latent iodine deficiency can aggravate significantly in the course of pregnancy and at worst cause developmental disorders of the unborn child, the Austrian scientists continue to report.

During pregnancy, the body needs significantly more iodine
„If you are pregnant, it is too late“, emphasize Heidelinde Lindorfer and Alois Gessl. Because „then the iodine stores are apparently already so empty that they can no longer be filled adequately during pregnancy due to the about 50 percent higher demand for iodine.“ The intake of the planned iodine preparations brings here, according to the study authors, no reliable remedy. In parallel, the pregnant women have to supply the body with more iodine. „Every pregnant woman should drink around 250 micrograms of iodine per day, according to the WHO, which should be continued until the end of the breastfeeding period“, explain the authors of the study and add that the iodine is absorbed mainly via saline. However, this raises some problems, since salt is partially negatively populated in the population and in addition for medical reasons generally a restriction of salt intake is recommended.

Impairments of the unborn child
According to the researchers, iodine deficiency of the pregnant women can lead to significant impairments of the unborn child, as the trace element „extremely important for the brain development of the embryo“ is. Already with a mild iodine deficiency, the intellectual development of the child is demonstrably impaired. Studies in the UK and Australia have shown a reduction in the intelligence quotient. In the worst case, the iodine deficiency can become a so-called „Cretinism with metabolic changes, skeletal abnormalities and hypothyroidism“ to lead. However, this picture has disappeared completely in Austria today, according to the MedUni Vienna.

Little interest of pregnant women in trace elements and vitamins
The scientists complain that pregnant women generally show little interest in trace elements and vitamins in Austria. This also applies to their caring doctors. One third of the 246 women interviewed in the Diabetes Outpatient Clinic of the University Department of Internal Medicine III and the maternity clinic of the University Clinic for Obstetrics and Gynecology of the MedUni Vienna have stated, „not to take any vitamins or supportive supplements such as folic acid“ and of the remaining two-thirds again only half had taken an iodine-containing preparation. „Most women are not sufficiently aware of the importance of iodine in pregnancy“, so the conclusion of the researchers. Here, the health authorities are in greater demand.

Migrant women rarely show iodine deficiency
According to the researchers, an exception in the results are pregnant migrants, who overall are much better supplied with iodine. „Urine measurements by mass spectrometry showed higher iodine levels in women with a migrant background - regardless of the gestational week and the presence of gestational diabetes“, this is the message from MedUni Vienna. (Fp)