Lab Med Online.  2019 Oct;9(4):232-235. 10.3343/lmo.2019.9.4.232.

Iodine Deficiency in Neonates: Where Do We Stand After a Quarter Century of Initiating Iodization Programs?

• Jafri L
• Majid H
• Ahmed S
• Siddiqui I
• Ghani F
• Khan AH

• KMID: 2458683
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3343/lmo.2019.9.4.232

Abstract

An observational study was conducted at the Section of Clinical Chemistry, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, to assess the iodine status using the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), and the International Council for Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders (ICCIDD) consensus criteria, which state that >3% prevalence of serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) ≥10 mIU/L in the population is an indicator of iodine deficiency. Serum neonatal TSH was analyzed from January to December 2013. In a period of one year, a total of 11,597 neonates with the mean (25 percentile, 75 percentile value) age of 2.0 days (0.5-3.5) were tested for serum TSH. The overall mean TSH level was 3.38 mIU/L (5.63-1.96), with optimal levels (1-39 mIU/L) in 93%, <1 mIU/L in 6.3%, and ≥40 mIU/L in 0.3% neonates. Of all the neonates, 7.9% (N=916) showed TSH ≥10 mIU/L which is higher than the recommended WHO/UNICEF/ICCIDD criteria for mild endemicity for iodine deficiency in the population. These results suggest that iodine deficiency is still prevalent in our population, indicating a need for effective intervention programs and increasing awareness regarding the use of iodized salt and supplementation in all reproductive-aged women to prevent iodine deficiency in neonates.

Keyword

Iodine; Deficiency; Congenital hypothyroidism; Neonates; Thyroid stimulating hormone

MeSH Terms

Chemistry, Clinical
Congenital Hypothyroidism
Consensus
Emergencies
Female
Financial Management
Humans
Infant, Newborn*
Iodine*
Observational Study
Pathology
Prevalence
Thyrotropin
United Nations
World Health Organization
Iodine
Thyrotropin

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