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Effect of Iodine Prophylaxis during Pregnancy on Neurocognitive Development of Children during the First Two Years of Life

Hospital La Merced (I.V.), 41640 Osuna, Spain; Facultad de Psicología (M.C., F.F.C., M.T.A.), Universidad de Málaga, 29071 Málaga, Spain; Servicio de Endocrinología y Nutrición (P.S.), Hospital General, 23071 Jaén, Spain; Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educación (J.A.M., A.R.), Departamento de Psicología, Universidad de Jaén, 23071 Jaén, Spain; Fundación Imabis (E.G.-F.), 29010 Málaga, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fisiopatología Obesidad y Nutrición (E.G.-F.), ISCIII, 29010 Málaga, Spain; Laboratorio de Análisis Clínicos (B.S.-M.), Hospital General, 23071 Jaén, Spain; Laboratorio de Hormonas (M.J.G.), Hospital Universitario Carlos Haya, 21009 Málaga, Spain; Unidad de Investigación (M.C.G.-F.), Hospital la Merced, 41640 Osuna, Spain; Hospital Punta de Europa de Algeciras (A.M.), 11207 Cádiz, Spain; Servicio de Endocrinología y Nutrición (S.G.-R., F.S.), Hospital Universitario Carlos Haya, 21009 Málaga, Spain; and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas (CIBERDEM) (S.G.-R., F.S.), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 29071 Málaga, Spain

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Federico Soriguer, Servicio de Endocrinología y Nutrición, Hospital Civil (Hospital Universitario Carlos Haya), Plaza del Hospital Civil, 21009 Málaga, Spain. E-mail: federico.soriguer.sspa{at}juntadeandalucia.es.

Context: The association between thyroid function during pregnancy and the later mental and psychomotor development of the child is supported by numerous experimental, clinical, and epidemiological studies.

Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the psychological development of infants aged 3 to 18 months whose mothers had received 300 µg of potassium iodide during the first trimester of their pregnancy and compare with infants whose mothers had received no iodine supplements.

Design and Study Subjects: The study included 133 women who had received 300 µg of potassium iodine and 61 women who had received no iodine supplements.

Main Outcome Measures: The neuropsychological status of the children was evaluated with the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, and measurements were made of TSH, free T₃, free T₄, and urinary iodine.

Results: Those children whose mothers had received an iodine supplement of 300 µg had a more favorable psychometric assessment than those of the other group of mothers. They had higher scores on the Psychomotor Development Index (P = 0.02) and the Behavior Rating Scale.

Conclusions: Dietary iodine supplements not only have no harmful effect on the neurodevelopment of the children, they may even be beneficial. Given the possible presence of confounding variables not controlled for in this study, these findings should be considered as preliminary.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				E. N. Pearce What Do We Know about Iodine Supplementation in Pregnancy? J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., September 1, 2009; 94(9): 3188 - 3190. [Full Text] [PDF]