Babies born to women who suffered from iodine deficiency during pregnancy are more likely to suffer from slowed mental development. The iodine taken by the mother, in fact, influences the IQ of the unborn child. This was revealed by a research by the English University of Surrey published by the Lancet magazine
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Children born to women who have suffered from one iodine deficiency during pregnancy they are more likely to suffer from a slowdown in mental development. The iodine taken by the mother, in fact, influences the IQ of the unborn child. This is revealed by a search of English University of Surrey published from Lancet magazine.
Conducted on 1000 British mothers and their children, the study used samples and data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) project, a long-term health research in which the children of 14 mothers who became pregnant in 000 and 1991. The researchers measured the iodine concentration in urine samples taken during the first trimester of 1040 pregnant women.
Following the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines on recommended iodine concentrations during pregnancy, the researchers then classified the women into two groups: those with an insufficient iodine-creatinine ratio (less than 150 mg / g) and those with sufficient ratio. Over two thirds of women, 67%, became part of the first group, revealing a shortage.
Subsequently, the mental development of women's children was analyzed by measuring IQ at the age of 8 and reading ability at the age of 9. By eliminating external factors from the findings that could have affected these scores, such as parental education and breastfeeding, the researchers found that children of the women in the iodine-deficient group were significantly more likely to have low scores on IQ, reading accuracy and reading comprehension.
For this reason, the research raises concerns about a problem that could be of public health: that of the lack of iodine, essential for the production of hormones produced by the thyroid, which has a direct effect on the development of the fetus' brain. According to Professor Rayman, “The results clearly show the importance of a adequate iodine intake during pregnancy and stress the risk that iodine deficiency can pose to the developing child, even in a country classified as mildly iodine deficient ”such as England.
Sarah Bath, co-author of the study and nutritionist, points out that “pregnant women and those planning to become pregnant must ensure they have an adequate intake of iodine; good food sources are the milk, dairy products and fish". What if you follow a vegan diet? Women who want to avoid these foods and who try alternative sources of iodine, considering that it is better to avoid supplements, they can consult the following table from the British Dietetic Association:
Roberta Ragni
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