Urinary Iodine Status at Delivery in Rural Pregnant Mothers from KONKAN Region of India (BKLWHANC-2)

Adequate iodine is necessary in pregnancy for normal maternal as well as fetal thyroid function. Fetus cannot produce thyroid hormone so it is exclusively dependent on mother. During pregnancy, iodine demand is increased by 50%. An adequate intake of dietary iodine in pregnancy is essential for the normal neurodevelopment of the offspring. We measured urinary iodine concentrations in 220 pregnant women who reported for delivery at a rural hospital in the KONKAN region of the State of Maharashtra, India. The mean age and gestation at delivery were 26.9 years and 38.2 weeks respectively. The observed median UIC was 84.6μg/l. Urinary iodine of mother was not associated with neonatal anthropometric measurements (weight, length and head circumference). We have found low median UIC levels at delivery among pregnant women. The increased demand in pregnancy could be met by iodine supplementation or increasing iodine content in the salt. The burden of poor iodine status in pregnant women will further adversely affect the fetal neurodevelopment. There should be universal screening of every pregnant woman for the identification of iodine status. A simple strategy of improving iodine content in the salt beyond the current recommendation for pregnant women might be beneficial for mother as well as fetus but continuous monitoring for adequate iodine is warranted.