Abstract
To compare urinary iodine concentrations (UIC) in pregnant women before delivery with the recommended UIC values, reported iodine supplementation during pregnancy, iodine status of their newborns and UIC diurnal fluctuations in pregnant women in the study. In the years 2008-2013, UIC in 66 pregnant women before delivery and UIC in 56 newborns on the 3rd day of life were examined.
The results were compared with the recommended UIC values and their relation to the reported iodine supplementation was analyzed. Thirty-two percent of pregnant women did not use any iodine supplementation during pregnancy.
The optimum daily dose of 150 μg was taken by thirty-eight percent of the pregnant women out of those who reported any form of iodine supplementation. The difference in UIC level results of pregnant women before delivery in relation to iodine supplementation was not statistically significant in our sample.
In the group of women with iodine supplementation, newborns had median UIC levels above 100 μg/l on the third day of life. There was no evidence of the effect of iodine supplementation on the fluctuations of maternal UIC levels during the day.
Iodine supplemetation in pregnancy improves the iodine status of newborns.