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Iodine deficiency amongst pregnant women in South‐West England
Author(s) -
Knight Bridget A.,
Shields Beverley M.,
He Xuemei,
Pearce Elizabeth N.,
Braverman Lewis E.,
Sturley Rachel,
Vaidya Bijay
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
clinical endocrinology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.055
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1365-2265
pISSN - 0300-0664
DOI - 10.1111/cen.13268
Subject(s) - medicine , pregnancy , iodine deficiency , iodine , body mass index , population , gestation , obstetrics , vitamin d deficiency , cohort , gynecology , cohort study , thyroid , vitamin d and neurology , endocrinology , genetics , materials science , environmental health , metallurgy , biology
Summary Introduction Iodine deficiency in pregnancy may impair foetal neurological development. The UK population is generally thought to be iodine sufficient; however, recent studies have questioned this assumption. Our study aimed to explore the prevalence of iodine deficiency in a cohort of pregnant mothers from South‐West England. Methods Urine samples were obtained from 308 women participating in a study of breech presentation in late pregnancy. They had no known thyroid disease and a singleton pregnancy at 36–38 weeks’ gestation. Samples were analysed for urinary iodine concentrations ( UIC ). Baseline data included age, parity, smoking status, ethnicity, body mass index ( BMI ) at booking, prenatal vitamin use and a dietary questionnaire. There was no difference in median UIC between women with ( n = 156) or without ( n = 152) a breech presentation ( P = 0·3), so subsequent analyses were carried out as a combined group. Results Participants had a mean ( SD ) age 31(5) years, median ( IQR ) BMI 24·4 (22·0, 28·3) kg/m 2 ; 42% were primiparous, 10% smoked during pregnancy, and 35% took iodine‐containing vitamins. Ninety‐six per cent were Caucasian. Median ( IQR ) UIC was 88·0 (54·3, 157·5) μg/l, which is consistent with iodine deficiency by WHO criteria. A total of 224/308 (73%) of women had UIC values <150 μg/l. Increasing milk intake was associated with higher UIC ( P = 0·02). There was no difference in median ( IQR ) UIC between those women who took iodine‐containing vitamins ( n = 108) and those who did not ( n = 200): 88 (54, 168) vs 88 (54, 150) μg/l, P = 0·7. Conclusion Iodine deficiency in pregnancy is common in South‐West England. Measures to develop optimum prevention and treatment strategies are urgently needed.