In reply: While Zhou and colleagues disagree with our viewpoint that Australian “women planning a pregnancy and pregnant and lactating women should be advised to take an iodine supplement”,1 we note that they suggest any such recommendation should await the results of their planned randomised controlled trial (RCT) examining the effects of maternal iodine supplementation on maternal health and neurodevelopmental outcome of the offspring. They neglect to mention that the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) issued a public statement in January this year, with supporting evidence attached, stating that: “The NHMRC recommends that all women who are pregnant, breastfeeding or considering pregnancy take an iodine supplement of 150 μg each day”.2 Similar recommendations, based upon available scientific evidence, have been issued by the World Health Organization, International Council for Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders, American Thyroid Association and American Endocrine Society.
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- 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. National Health and Medical Research Council. Iodine supplementation for pregnant and breastfeeding women [public statement]. NHMRC, 2010. http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/_files_nhmrc/file/publications/synopses/new45_statement.pdf (accessed Aug 2010).
- 3. Hamrosi MA, Wallace EM, Riley MD. Iodine status in pregnant women living in Melbourne differs by ethnic group. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr 2005; 14: 27-31.
- 4. Food Standards Australia New Zealand. Proposal P1003 Mandatory iodine fortification for Australia: assessment report. Canberra: FSANZ, 2008. http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/_srcfiles/P1003%20 Mandatory%20Iodine%20fortification%20Aust% 20AR%20FINAL.pdf (accessed Aug 2010).
- 5. Seal JA, Doyle Z, Burgess JR, et al. Iodine status of Tasmanians following voluntary fortification of bread with iodine. Med J Aust 2007; 186: 69-71. <MJA full text>
Gisselle Gallego and Stephen Goodall coauthored reports for FSANZ and the Department of Health and Ageing on the cost-effectiveness of iodine fortification of bread in Australia and NZ. Stephen Goodall is an FSANZ fellow. Creswell Eastman is the vice-chairman of the International Council for Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders, which is supported by the Australian Government Overseas Aid Program and the Canadian International Development Agency. Creswell Eastman is patron of the Australian Thyroid Foundation, which has received support from Cerebos (manufacturer of Saxa salt) and Blackmores.