(HealthDay News) — Recent research indicates that many pregnant women have a median urinary iodine concentration below the recommended level, which may have a negative impact on the motor and cognitive functions of offspring. The findings were published online August 20 in Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica.

Michaela Granfors, MD, from Uppsala University in Sweden, and colleagues examined iodine nutrition during pregnancy in Sweden. Spot urine samples were collected in the third trimester of pregnancy for 459 pregnant, non-smoking women for median UIC analysis.

The researchers found that within the total study population, the median UIC was 98µg/L. According to the World Health Organization/UNICEF/Iodine Global Network criteria, the population-based median IUC during pregnancy should be 150 to 249µg/L. Higher median UIC was seen for pregnant women younger than 30 years and obese women (body mass index ≥30kg/m²) compared with older and non-obese women.

“In conclusion, the median UIC of 98µg/L obtained in this study population of pregnant women indicates an insufficient iodine intake in the pregnant population in Sweden,” the authors write. “This may have a negative impact on motor and cognitive functions of the offspring. There is an urgent need for national assessment of iodine status in pregnant women. More targeted intervention strategies may be needed to optimize iodine nutrition during pregnancy.”

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