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Maternal Urinary Iodine Concentration during Pregnancy and Its Impact on Child Growth and Neurodevelopment: An

Carla A Lopes1,2, Marta Duarte1, Susana Prazeres3

  • 1CICS-UBI, Health Sciences Research Centre, University of Beira Interior, 6200-506 Covilhã, Portugal.

Nutrients
|October 28, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Maternal iodine intake during pregnancy did not directly impact child growth or neurodevelopment in this study. Socioeconomic factors, like maternal education, played a more significant role in child development outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Maternal and Child Health
  • Nutritional Epidemiology
  • Neurodevelopmental Studies

Background:

  • Mild-to-moderate iodine deficiency in pregnancy is common globally.
  • The precise effects of maternal iodine status on child health remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the association between maternal iodine intake during pregnancy and offspring growth and neurodevelopment at age 11.
  • To identify potential confounding factors in this relationship.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort study of 70 children aged 11, utilizing data from maternal urinary iodine concentration (UIC) surveys during pregnancy.
  • Analysis of gestational, neonatal, anthropometric, intelligence quotient (IQ), and socioeconomic parameters correlated with maternal UIC.

Main Results:

  • Positive trends observed between maternal UIC and child height, IQ, family income, and maternal education.
  • Negative trend between maternal UIC and neonatal thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels.
  • Maternal UIC was not an independent predictor of child development; maternal education was significantly associated with child height and IQ.

Conclusions:

  • No direct evidence found linking maternal iodine intake during pregnancy to long-term child growth and neurodevelopment.
  • Socioeconomic factors significantly confound the relationship between maternal iodine intake and child outcomes, requiring careful consideration in future research.

Keywords:
IQgrowthiodineneurodevelopmentpregnancythyroid

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