Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 7, 2026

Hypoxia Alters miRNAs Levels Involved in Non-Mendelian Inheritance of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Mice
09:13

Hypoxia Alters miRNAs Levels Involved in Non-Mendelian Inheritance of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Mice

Published on: July 11, 2025

26.9K

Iodine deficiency in Egyptian autistic children and their mothers: relation to disease severity

Rasha T Hamza1, Doaa H Hewedi, Mahmoud T Sallam

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.

Archives of Medical Research
|October 15, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Iodine deficiency (ID) is common in Egyptian autistic children and their mothers, correlating with increased autism severity. This suggests ID may be a contributing factor to the etiology of autism.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Endocrinology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is increasingly recognized as a neurodevelopmental disorder with potential origins in early fetal development.
  • Maternal hypothyroxinemia during early pregnancy, often caused by iodine deficiency (ID), is hypothesized to play a role in ASD etiology.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the iodine nutritional status of Egyptian children diagnosed with autism and their mothers.
  • To explore the relationship between iodine status and the characteristics of autism in these children.

Main Methods:

  • A comparative study involving 50 autistic children and their mothers, contrasted with 50 control subjects.
  • Assessment included clinical evaluation, measurement of urinary iodine (UI), thyroid hormones (fT3, fT4), TSH, and thyroid volume (TV).
  • Autistic children also underwent electroencephalography (EEG) and intelligence quotient (IQ) testing.

Main Results:

  • Iodine deficiency was prevalent in 54% of autistic children and 58% of their mothers, with no deficiency observed in controls.
  • Lower urinary iodine levels were significantly associated with autism in both children and mothers (p <0.001).
  • Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) scores showed a negative correlation with urinary iodine (r = -0.94, p <0.001), indicating greater severity with lower iodine levels. Autism diagnosis was significantly associated with low UI (OR: 9.5) and non-iodized salt intake (OR: 6.82).

Conclusions:

  • Iodine deficiency is highly prevalent among Egyptian autistic children and their mothers.
  • Lower iodine levels are inversely related to autism severity, suggesting a potential role in its etiology.
  • These findings highlight the importance of adequate iodine nutrition in pregnancy for neurodevelopment and autism prevention.
Abstract

Keywords:
AutismEgyptianIodine deficiencyMaternal hypothyroxinemiaSeverity

More Related Videos

A Novel Experimental and Analytical Approach to the Multimodal Neural Decoding of Intent During Social Interaction in Freely-behaving Human Infants11:14

A Novel Experimental and Analytical Approach to the Multimodal Neural Decoding of Intent During Social Interaction in Freely-behaving Human Infants

Published on: October 4, 2015

13.1K
A Semantic Priming Event-related Potential ERP Task to Study Lexico-semantic and Visuo-semantic Processing in Autism Spectrum Disorder08:17

A Semantic Priming Event-related Potential ERP Task to Study Lexico-semantic and Visuo-semantic Processing in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Published on: April 12, 2018

10.1K

Related Concept Videos

Autism Spectrum Disorder01:19

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition marked by persistent deficits in social communication and interaction alongside restrictive and repetitive behaviors or interests. ASD is sometimes accompanied by intellectual impairment.
These core symptoms manifest differently among individuals, ranging from mild to severe. The disorder's complexity extends beyond its clinical presentation, encompassing a diverse range of biological, cognitive, and sociocultural influences.
2.0K
Oogenesis02:07

Oogenesis

In human women, oogenesis produces one mature egg cell or ovum for every precursor cell that enters meiosis. This process differs in two unique ways from the equivalent procedure of spermatogenesis in males. First, meiotic divisions during oogenesis are asymmetric, meaning that a large oocyte (containing most of the cytoplasm) and minor polar body are produced as a result of meiosis I, and again following meiosis II. Since only oocytes will go on to form embryos if fertilized, this unequal...
58.5K
Intellectual Disability01:29

Intellectual Disability

Intellectual disability (ID) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by deficits in intellectual and adaptive functioning that manifest during the developmental period. This condition encompasses challenges in reasoning, memory, problem-solving, and learning, accompanied by impairments in everyday life skills, such as communication, self-care, and social interactions. Intellectual disability affects approximately 1% of the population in the United States, impacting an estimated 5...
1.1K
Oppositional Defiant Disorder01:30

Oppositional Defiant Disorder

A persistent pattern of angry or irritable mood, defiant behavior, or vindictiveness characterizes Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). Symptoms must occur over at least six months, involve interactions with individuals beyond siblings, and meet specific diagnostic criteria to be clinically significant. The disorder affects emotional regulation, social interactions, and behavior, often manifesting early in life and influencing long-term development and functioning.
Diagnostic Criteria and...
1.5K
Learning Disabilities01:25

Learning Disabilities

Learning disabilities are cognitive disorders caused by neurological impairments that affect cognitive functions like language and reading, without indicating overall intellectual or developmental challenges. These disabilities differ from global intellectual or developmental disabilities as they are limited to distinct cognitive functions. Common learning disabilities include dysgraphia, dyslexia, and dyscalculia, each of which impacts unique aspects of learning.
Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a...
736
Inflammatory Bowel Disease III: Diagnostic Studies and Management I-Nutritional Therapy01:30

Inflammatory Bowel Disease III: Diagnostic Studies and Management I-Nutritional Therapy

Various diagnostic tests are employed in the diagnostic process for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), particularly to differentiate between Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
Diagnostic studies
A colonoscopy is the definitive screening test, distinguishing ulcerative colitis from other colon diseases with similar symptoms. During a colonoscopy test, inflamed mucosa with exudate ulcerations can be observed, and biopsies are taken to determine the histologic characteristics of the...
1.1K