Iodine deficiency, pregnancy and the effects on the infant

Iodine deficiency, pregnancy and the effects on the infant
Student:
Professor:
Course title:
Date:
Iodine deficiency, pregnancy and the effects on the infant
Article 1 – Iodine status in late pregnancy and psychosocial determinants of iodized salt use in rural northern Viet Nam
The chief idea of the article was to investigate and ascertain the iodine status among pregnant women in rural northern Viet Nam, and to explore psychosocial predictors of the use of iodized salt in their households. Participants included 413 pregnant women who were registered in health stations within randomly selected communes in the Ha Nam province of Viet Nam.
The most important information in this article is that iodized salt use was lower among the nilliparous women, less educated women, small-scale traders or factory workers, government workers and women who had common mental disorders. In addition, iodine deficiency is recurring in Viet Nam since the National Iodine Deficiency Disorders Control (NIDDC) programme was shelved. This trend is of concern particularly among pregnant women in both rural and urban areas, who all face the risk of acquiring an Iodine Deficiency Disorder (IDD). A vast majority of pregnant women in the study had Urinary Iodine Concentrations (UICs) that was lower than the recommended safe threshold, and in overall, the cohort had moderate iodine deficiency. There is a median UIC of 63 µg/1 in 776 women in Viet Nam’s Ho Chi Minh City. The study found that the decline in using iodized salt in Viet Nam since the 2005 suspension of NIDDC programme has placed many pregnant women together with their babies in rural areas at risk of developing iodine deficiency disorders. Moreover, psychological factors also influence the use of iodized salt.
The strength of this article is that the study used a methodically recruited, large and representative cohort/collection of women who were prospectively followed. Another strength is that psychological and biological data were collected to investigate the prevalence as well as predictors of UIC and of the use of iodized salt. The major weakness is that the frequency and amount of iodized salt use were not assessed.
Reference
Fisher, Jane, Thach Tran, Beverly Biggs, Tuan Tran, Terry Dwyer, Gerard Casey, Dang Hai Tho & Basil Hetzel. Iodine Status in Late Pregnancy and Psychosocial Determinants of Iodized Salt Use in Rural North Viet Nam. 2011. Web.
Search engine: Ebsco-host online library
Keywords: iodine deficiency, iodized salt, pregnancy
Articles found: 13, I selected this one since it was the most comprehensive and provided a much reliable study regarding the subject matter.
Article 2 – Iodine deficiency in pregnant women and the effects of maternal iodine supplementation on the offspring: a review
The objective of the article was to investigate on the effects of severe and mid-to-moderate maternal iodine deficiency on the offspring, and how it may lead to cretinism. Participants were women of childbearing age, pregnant women and children ranging from newborns to 10 years. In investigating severe maternal iodine deficiency, the study was conducted on women in Papua New Guinea, Zaire, Peru, Equador and China. Investigating on mild-to-moderate iodine deficiency was carried out in Italy, Denmark, Belgium and Germany. The treatment group received iodine treatment, and a series of follow-up studies were conducted.
The most important information in this article is that iodine treatment in a population of severe iodine deficiency and exhibits high levels of cretinism, drastically decreases or eliminates incidences of this condition, and there are cognitive benefits for offspring of maternal iodine treatment. For instance, data from the Zaire trial show that the correction of iodine, even at mid-to-late pregnancy, helps to improve infant cognitive development. The benefits are even greater when iodine is provided/given before or early in pregnancy. Moreover, in areas of mild-to-moderate iodine deficiency such as in Europe, the maternal thyroid is able to adapt in order to meet the increased thyroid hormone requirements of pregnancy. As such, supplementation does not have a clear effect on maternal and infant free or total thyroid hormone concentrations. Thus, thyroid hormone concentrations might be the best surrogate biochemical marker to facilitate healthy fetal development.
The research found that infants of 1 to 4 years of age with iodine sufficiency had significantly higher IQ score (85.6 ± 13.9) compared to those who were iodine deficient (74.4 ± 4.8). Iodine supplementation to women before conception or early in pregnancy in areas with severe iodine deficiency helps to improve IQ scores.
The strength of the article is that the study portrays a global representation since it was done in diverse geographical areas – Africa, South America, Europe and Asia. The weakness is that with regard to the mid-to-moderate iodine deficiency, no trial measured the long-term clinical outcomes such as infant development or maternal goiter, thus, the researcher concludes that the potential adverse effects of mid-to-moderate iodine deficiency during pregnancy is still unclear.
Reference
Zimmerman, Michael. Iodine deficiency in pregnancy and the effects of maternal iodine supplementation on the offspring. The American Journal of Clinical Nutriti...