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Author Spotlight: Studying the Impact of Maternal Dietary Deficiencies on Long-Term Offspring Health Outcomes
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Author Spotlight: Studying the Impact of Maternal Dietary Deficiencies on Long-Term Offspring Health Outcomes

Published on: June 28, 2024

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Maternal Iodine Intake and Neurodevelopment of Offspring: The Japan Environment and Children's Study

Aya Hisada1, Rieko Takatani1, Midori Yamamoto1

  • 1Center for Preventive Medical Sciences, Chiba University, 1-33 Yayoi-cho, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8522, Japan.

Nutrients
|May 14, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Maternal iodine intake during pregnancy is crucial for child neurodevelopment. Low iodine levels were linked to increased risks of developmental delays in fine motor, communication, and problem-solving skills at 1 and 3 years of age.

Area of Science:

  • Maternal and Child Health
  • Nutritional Neuroscience
  • Developmental Pediatrics

Background:

  • Iodine is essential for thyroid hormone synthesis, critical for fetal brain development.
  • Inadequate maternal iodine intake during pregnancy is a global concern with potential neurodevelopmental consequences.
  • Understanding the specific impact of iodine intake on child neurodevelopment is vital for public health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between maternal iodine intake during pregnancy and offspring neurodevelopmental delay.
  • To assess neurodevelopmental outcomes at 1 and 3 years of age in relation to maternal iodine consumption.
  • To identify specific neurodevelopmental domains affected by varying levels of maternal iodine intake.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a nationwide birth cohort: the Japan Environment and Children's Study.
  • Assessed maternal dietary iodine intake via a food frequency questionnaire during pregnancy.
  • Evaluated child neurodevelopment using the Japanese version of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-3).

Main Results:

  • Increased risk of fine motor delay at 1 year in the lowest iodine intake quintile.
  • Elevated risk of problem-solving delay at 1 year in the lowest and second iodine intake quintiles; decreased risk in the highest quintile.
  • Higher risks of delay in communication, fine motor, problem-solving, and personal-social domains at 3 years for the lowest and second iodine intake quintiles; decreased risk for fine motor and problem-solving in the highest quintile.

Conclusions:

  • Low maternal iodine intake during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of neurodevelopmental delays in offspring.
  • Specific neurodevelopmental domains, including fine motor, communication, and problem-solving, are vulnerable to insufficient iodine exposure.
  • Ensuring adequate maternal iodine nutrition is critical for optimal fetal brain development and long-term child neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Keywords:
Ages and Stages Questionnaire Third Editionbirth cohort studyfood frequency questionnaireiodine intakeneurodevelopmentpregnancy

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