Should Iodine be Supported in Pregnancy? A Hospital Based Study

Abstract

Objective: Iodine deficiency causes adverse effects in pregnant women and neurological-cognitive disorders in their babies. Our aim was to define the status of iodine deficiency among pregnant women, who attended our hospital outpatient polyclinics. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional and descriptive study was performed in 2014 with 94 pregnant women. Iodine levels in spot urine and serum thyroid hormones have been analyzed. The iodine levels of spot urine less than 150 µg/L were accepted as iodine deficiency. Results: The mean age was 30.6±3.92 years, mean gestational age was 18.9±9.64 weeks. Mean urinary iodine concentrations (UIC) were 160.32±5.88 μg/L and the ratio of pregnant women whose UIC less than 150 μg/L was 33% (n=31) and the percentage of the women, who declared iodised salt use was 90.2%. Conclusion: In this study, in one-third of pregnant women the urine iodine concentrations were inadequate despite the high rate of iodised salt intake. Nevertheless, most prenatal vitamins and salts do not include adequate iodine, iodine monitoring and supplementation may be recommended before and during pregnancy.

Giriş: İyot eksikliği, gebelerde olumsuz etkilere, bebeklerinde ise nörokognitif bozukluklara neden olmaktadır. Çalışmamızda hastanemiz polikliniklerine başvuran gebe kadınlarda iyot eksikliğinin araştırılması amaçlanmıştır. Yöntem: Bu kesitsel ve tanımlayıcı çalışmaya, 2014 yılında takip edilen, 94 gebe dahil edilmiştir. Çalışmaya alınan gebelerin, anlık (spot) idrarda iyot düzeyleri ve tiroid fonksiyon testleri analiz edilmiştir. Spot idrarda iyot düzeyi <150 µg/L ise iyot eksikliği olarak kabul edilmiştir. Bulgular: Çalışmamızda ortalama yaş 30,6±3,92 yıl, ortalama gebelik yaşı 18,9±9,64 hafta idi. Ortalama idrar iyot atılımı 160,32±5,88 μg/L olarak saptanmış olup, iyot eksikliği olanların oranı %33 olarak bulunmuştur. İyot katkılı tuz kullandığını belirten gebelerin oranı %90,2 idi. Sonuç: İyot katkılı tuz kullanımının yüksek oranda olmasına karşın, gebelerin üçte birinde idrar iyot düzeyleri yetersiz düzeyde saptanmıştır. Bulgularımız, gebelerde iyot eksikliği prevalansının önemli bir düzeyde olduğunu vurgulamaktadır. Ülkemizde prenatal vitaminlerin çoğunda ve tuzlarda yeterli iyot bulunmamaktadır, bu nedenle gebelik sırasında veya öncesinde iyot durumunun değerlendirilmesi ve desteklenmesi önerilebilir.

Keywords

• Pregnancy,iodine deficiency

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