Iodine deficiency in Australia: is iodine supplementation for pregnant and lactating women warranted?

Zhou, Shao J; Skeaff, Sheila A; Ryan, Philip; Makrides, Maria

doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.2010.tb03921.x

Topics

To the Editor: We disagree with the opinion expressed by Gallego and colleagues that Australian “women planning a pregnancy and pregnant and lactating women should be advised to take an iodine supplement”,1 and offer two reasons to support our view.

1 Child Nutrition Research Centre, Women’s and Children’s Health Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA.
2 Department of Human Nutrition, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
3 Discipline of Public Health, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA.

Correspondence: maria.makrides@health.sa.gov.au

Competing interests:

We are chief investigators of the NHMRC-funded multicentre RCT, which investigates the effect of iodine supplementation in pregnancy on neurodevelopment of children and general health and wellbeing of mothers. The supplements used in the trial are manufactured and donated to the trial by Blackmores.

1. Gallego G, Goodall S, Eastman CJ. Iodine deficiency in Australia: is iodine supplementation for pregnant and lactating women warranted? Med J Aust 2010; 192: 461-463. <MJA full text>
2. Australian Population Health Development Principal Committee of the Australian Health Ministers Advisory Committee. The prevalence and severity of iodine deficiency in Australia. Canberra: Tasmanian Department of Health and Human Services, 2007. http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/_srcfiles/Item%2002%2005%20-%20Attachment%201%20-%20%20Prevalence%20and%20severity%20of%20iodine%20deficiency%20in%20Australia.pdf (accessed Aug 2010).
3. National Health and Medical Research Council. Dietitians Association of Australia. A new food guidance system for Australia — foundation and total diets (revised draft report for public consultation). Canberra: NHMRC, 2009. http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/_files_nhmrc/file/guidelines/consult/consultations/draft_foundation_total_diets_public_consult.pdf (accessed Aug 2010).
4. Zimmermann M, Delange F. Iodine supplementation of pregnant women in Europe: a review and recommendations. Eur J Clin Nutr 2004; 58: 979-984.
5. Zimmermann MB. Iodine deficiency in pregnancy and the effects of maternal iodine supplementation on the offspring: a review. Am J Clin Nutr 2009; 89 (2 Suppl): 668S-672S.
6. Pregnancy iodine and neurodevelopment in kids (PINK). Australian New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry number: ACTRN12610000411044. http://www.anzctr.org.au/ACTRN12610000411044.aspx (accessed Aug 2010).
7. Maternal iodine supplementation and effects on thyroid function and child development (MITCH). Clinical trial identifier: NCT00791466. http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00791466?term=iodine+supplementation+in+pregnancy&rank=3 (accessed Aug 2010).
8. Iodine supplementation during pregnancy and neuropsychological development. Clinical trial identifier: NCT01049659. http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01049659?term=iodine+supplementation+in+pregnancy&rank=1 (accessed Aug 2010).

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