The CDC Model for Biomonitoring of Iodine Status in Pregnant Women in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
Amir Makhmudov *
CDC, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Kathleen Caldwell
CDC, Atlanta, GA, USA.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Objectives: Iodine is a trace element involved in the metabolism of thyroid hormones, important for development and normal physiological function. Adequate iodine intake during pregnancy and lactation is especially critical to normal brain development in the fetus. Strategies to combat the prevalence of iodine deficiency disorders focus on ensuring adequate dietary intake.Dairy, grain, seafood, and to a lesser degree, iodized salt are the major dietary sources of iodine in the United States.Since 1971, National Health and Nutrition’s Examination Survey (NHANES) has measure urinary iodine in the United State population. A sizable decrease in urinary iodine concentrations (UIC) was detected between (1988-1994). This decline may have been due to the dairy industry’s effort in the mid-1980s to reduce the iodine residue in milk.
Methods: NHANES is a program of studies designed to assess the health and nutrition status of adults and children in the United States.
Results: CDC hasbeen continuously monitoring US iodine level since 2000. NHANES data indicates that the U.S. median UIC been relatively stable since the initial drop that had occurred from NHANES I to NHANES III. However some findings indicate that some pregnant women in the US do not appear to have an adequate iodine intake.
Conclusions: Our iodine data supports the continued need to monitor the iodine status in the population because changes in patterns of dietary habit and iodine content in the food supply maynegatively affect populations at risk for iodine deficiency disorders.