Iodine
Iodine is a trace mineral. Added to table salt, iodine prevents goitre (thyroid) swelling and mental retardation as infants develop in the womb.
Whether we are getting enough iodine or not, is a question seldom asked in first world countries. It might be a mistake to ignore such a small, easily resolved issue.
In New Zealand, a new measure requiring bakeries to use iodised salt in the production of bread, cookies and cereal is being implemented.
A report in the New Zealand Herald recently announced the discouraging news that women in that country are not getting enough iodine due to reduced salt intake and changes to how dairy equipment is cleaned (under the old methods, some trace amounts of iodine were found in milk):
- Though there is no formal policy for iodine supplements to be given to pregnant and breastfeeding women, FSANZ said adults required an average of 100 micrograms of iodine a day.
- A recent total diet survey showed females over 25 were only getting 40 per cent of the recommended daily intake. Goitre problems - thyroid enlargement - are typically seen with an intake of less than 50 mcg of iodine a day and cretinism is seen in severe cases, in the babies of pregnant women who receive less than 30 mcg a day.
- Medical experts say women having babies or breastfeeding should take up to 200 mcg of iodine supplements a day, unless they have thyroid disease or get a lot of iodine from sources such as seafood.
I am not sure what recent findings among New Zealanders might imply for the rest of the world. Certainly, iodised salt is used in the US and Canada in the creation of most prepared foods and most people have the problem of ingesting too much, rather than too little salt. That said, if you’re a pregnant or breastfeeding mother who has cut back on sodium or switched to an “all natural” gourmet salt with that is uniodized, it might be wise to bring up the subject of iodine levels with your healthcare provider.
I have an underactive thyroid that is under control with medication, but as a precaution, I was advised to take 200 mcg of iodine combined with daily folic acid supplements throughout my pregnancies and periods of exclusive breastfeeding. Iodine, in smaller amounts is also contained in most prenatal vitamins, so chances are that you are getting enough.
Tags: iodine-in-pregnancy, iodine-while-breast-feedingRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Baby Care, Breastfeeding, Nutrition
1 opinion for Iodine
Babylune » The Good News About Vitamins
Aug 31, 2006 at 3:16 am
[…] There is one serious exception to those findings: vitamins for prenatal health. While it has long been known that folic acid helps to prevent neural tube defects, and that iodine helps prevent other kinds of retardation, this new study shows that prenatal vitamins also help prevent cardiovascular and limb defects, cleft palate, oral cleft, congenital hydrocephalus, and urinary tract anomalies too. A report on a study published in the Globe and Mail says that the evidence that taking prenatal vitamins prevents birth defects is so profound that all women of childbearing age should take one a day. […]
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