Iodine status and state of iodine prophylaxis among pregnant women

Abstract

The present study involves 199 pregnant women aged 18 to 42 years (28.6±1.7) of the first (10.0±0.4 weeks), second (21.6±0.5 weeks) and the third (34.9±0.4 weeks) trimester of pregnancy. To monitor the iodine status and assessment of the efficacy of the measures of iodine prophylaxis tests including urinary iodine excretion level; assessment
of thyroid status using ultrasound; and quizzing of subjects’ attitude to iodine prophylaxis were performed. Results. The study of urinary iodine excretion has showed that a significant part of pregnant women were under conditions of iodine deficiency. The highest percentage (71.1%) of urinary iodine insufficiency measures under 150 μg/L was noted
in the group of pregnant women who did not use iodine-containing medications or vitamins for the prevention. Among women who use iodine prophylaxis and take vitamin and mineral supplements that contain iodine, this percentage of results was 54.4%. Excessive urinary iodine values were noted in 14.9% of pregnant women receiving iodine prophylaxis and in 8.5% without it. Only 27.7% of the results of urinary iodine excretion for pregnant women who received iodine-containing drugs, and 20.4% for those who did not take these drugs, were within the range 150 to 249 μg/L with a sufficient iodine status. Based on USI data, among pregnant women the incidence of thyroid enlargement was 33.3%, along with a diffuse thyroid goiter, in 9.4% of women cases of nodular goiter were reported. A survey of pregnant women about the use of medicines for iodine prophylaxis has shown that there are 17 different authorized drugs including iodine-containing medications: Iodomarin, Iodbalans, Thyroxin; vitamin and mineral iodine-containing supplements: Multitabs, Prenatal, Vitrum, Vitrum-Prenatal Forte; vitamin and mineral supplements that do not contain iodine: Elevit, Pregnavit, Revit, and others; in fact, only 24% of women were taking drugs that do contain iodine. It has been established that among the surveyed women 87.2% were awared of the iodine deficiency problems and their damaging effect, while 12.8% were unawared of these problems. A significant part of pregnant women (70.5%) are informed about the manifestations of iodine deficiency in the future child and of the surveyed women 29.3% don’t have such information. Many of pregnant women had an incomplete knowledge of the possible consequences of iodine deficiency, such as intellectual impairment and mental retardation, insufficient physical development, and possible intrauterine fetal malformations. Conclusion. Considering all above significant part of the pregnant women (over 70%) are under conditions of iodine deficiency that can have negative effect for thyroid gland and negative consequences for fetus development and children mental development.