Journal
BRITISH JOURNAL OF NUTRITION
Volume 109, Issue 12, Pages 2276-2284Publisher
CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS
DOI: 10.1017/S0007114512004473
Keywords
Iodine deficiency; Belgium; Pregnant women
Categories
Funding
- Federal Public Service of Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Low iodine intake during pregnancy may cause thyroid dysfunction in pregnant women and their newborn. In the present study, iodine status among a nation-wide representative sample of Belgian pregnant women in the first and third trimester of pregnancy was determined, and determinants of iodine status were assessed 1 year after the introduction of bread fortified with iodised salt. The women were selected according to a multistage proportionate-to-size sampling design. Urine samples were collected and a general questionnaire was completed face to face with the study nurse. The median urinary iodine concentration (UIC) among pregnant women (n 1311) was 124.1 mu g/l and 122.6 mu g/g creatinine when corrected for urinary creatinine. The median UIC in the first trimester (118.3 mu g/l) was significantly lower than that in the third trimester (131.0 mu g/l) but significantly higher than among non-pregnant women (84.8 mu g/l). Iodine-containing supplement intake was reported by 60.8% of the women and 57.4% of the women took this supplement daily. The risk of iodine deficiency was significantly higher in younger women, in women not taking iodine-containing supplements, with low consumption of milk and dairy drinks and during autumn. Women with a higher BMI had a higher risk of iodine deficiency but the risk was lower in women who reported alcohol consumption. The median UIC during pregnancy indicates iodine deficiency in Belgium and some women are at a higher risk of deficiency. The current low iodine intake in women of childbearing age precludes the correction of iodine deficiency in pregnant women supplemented with multivitamins containing 150 mu g iodine as recommended.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available