Iodine deficiency in pregnancy and in women of reproductive age in Erzurum, Turkey

Aim: Iodine deficiency (ID) is an important public health problem and the most common cause of preventable mental retardation. The aims of this study were to determine the urinary iodine concentration (UIC) of pregnant women living in Erzurum, to assess the ID rate, and to find out whether iodine supplementation is necessary in pregnancy. Materials and methods: Spot urine was obtained from pregnant and nonpregnant women with no functional or organic thyroid disease. The UIC was studied using the Sandell-Kolthoff method. Results: The median UIC values of pregnant women in the fi rst, second, and third trimesters and of the nonpregnant women were 126.0, 134.6, 132.7, and 137.3 μg/L, respectively. The total ID rate was 72.6% and 18.0% in the pregnant and the nonpregnant women, respectively. Conclusion: The ID rate in pregnancy was found to be high in Erzurum. ID rates were highest in the fi rst trimester, when fetal neurodevelopment is most affected. ID is still a serious problem in Erzurum despite mandatory salt iodization. However, the fact that the defi ciency is mild to moderate is promising as regards the potential response to iodine supplementation in pregnant women.