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Association Between Maternal Iodine Intake in Pregnancy and Childhood Neurodevelopment at Age 18 Months

Shao J Zhou1,2, Dominique Condo3, Philip Ryan4

  • 1School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.

American Journal of Epidemiology
|November 20, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Maternal iodine intake during pregnancy, whether too low or too high, is linked to poorer child neurodevelopmental outcomes. This finding highlights the importance of optimal iodine levels for healthy childhood development.

Area of Science:

  • Maternal and Child Health
  • Nutritional Epidemiology
  • Developmental Neuroscience

Background:

  • Limited data exist on the impact of mild iodine deficiency during pregnancy on child development.
  • Inconsistent findings necessitate further research into maternal iodine intake and neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between maternal iodine intake in pregnancy and neurodevelopment in 699 Australian children at 18 months.
  • To assess cognitive, language, and motor development using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition (Bayley-III).

Main Methods:

  • Prospective cohort study conducted in Australia between 2011 and 2015.
  • Maternal iodine intake and urinary iodine concentration (UIC) were measured at <20 and 28 weeks' gestation.
  • Child neurodevelopment assessed using Bayley-III at 18 months.

Main Results:

  • Both lowest (<220 μg/day) and highest (≥391 μg/day) quartiles of maternal iodine intake were associated with lower cognitive, language, and motor scores.
  • Higher odds of cognitive developmental delay were observed in children of mothers with iodine intake in the lowest or highest quartiles.
  • No association was found between maternal urinary iodine concentration (UIC) and child neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Conclusions:

  • Both low and high maternal iodine intakes during pregnancy are associated with poorer childhood neurodevelopment in an iodine-sufficient population.
  • Optimal iodine intake during pregnancy is crucial for supporting healthy child neurodevelopment.
  • Urinary iodine concentration may not accurately reflect iodine status relevant to neurodevelopmental outcomes in this context.

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