Iodine deficiency in a study population of pregnant women in Sweden

IntroductionIodine deficiency in utero may impair neurological development of the fetus. In Sweden, iodine nutrition is considered to be adequate in the general population. The aim of this study was to evaluate iodine nutrition during pregnancy in Sweden. Material and methodsIn this cross-sectional study, the total study population (n=459) consisted of two cohorts (Varmland County, n=273, and Uppsala County, n=186) of pregnant non-smoking women without pre-gestational diabetes mellitus or known thyroid disease before or during pregnancy. Spot urine samples were collected in the third trimester of pregnancy for median urinary iodine concentration (UIC) analysis. ResultsThe median UIC in the total study population was 98g/L (interquartile range 57-148g/L). ConclusionsAccording to WHO/UNICEF/IGN criteria, population-based median UIC during pregnancy should be 150-249g/L. Thus, our results indicate insufficient iodine status in the pregnant population of Sweden. There is an urgent need for further assessments in order to optimize iodine nutrition during pregnancy.