Pregnant women in the UK should be given iodine supplements, researchers claim today.
Inadequate levels of the element in the diet are linked to closely to children being born with learning difficulties, according to researchers at Birmingham University, UK.
They say that a simple supplement would save the NHS on average £200 per pregnancy.
And it would lead to children being born, on average, with one extra IQ point.
The researchers use figures from published studies of iodine in pregnancy together with "expert opinion." They say a randomised trial of supplements might be unethical because it would involve persuading some women not to take them.
Iodine can be obtained from a diet rich in seafood or dairy products – but otherwise may need supplements.
The findings have been published in The Lancet: Diabetes and Endocrinology.
Researcher Professor Kate Jolley said: “Iodine deficiency in pregnancy remains the leading cause of preventable retardation worldwide. Even mild iodine deficiency during pregnancy is associated with children with lower IQs.
“It’s time for all women living in iodine deficient countries without universal supplementation of iodine, who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning a pregnancy to be advised to take a daily supplement containing iodine.”
Costs and benefits of iodine supplementation for pregnant women in a mildly to moderately iodine-deficient population: a modelling analysis. Lancet: Diabetes and Endocrinology 10 August 2015; [abstract]
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