Maternal iodine status and neonatal thyroid-stimulating hormone concentration: a community survey in Songkhla, southern Thailand.

Objective: To determine iodine intake and urinary, iodine excretion (UIE) in a group of pregnant Thai women and the concentration of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) in their neonates. Design: A prospective cohort study. Selling: Three districts of Songkhla, southern Thailand. Subjects: Two hundred and thirty-six pregnant women. Results: A quarter of the participants lacked knowledge of iodine and the prevention of iodine deficiency, although 70% used iodized salt. Those who did not Use iodized salt stated that they had no knowledge about iodine (57%) and no iodized salt was sold in their village (36%). The median iodine intake in the three districts was 205-240 mu g/d, with 53-74% of pregnant women having iodine intake <250 mu g/d. The median UIE in the three districts was 51-106 mu g/l, with 24-35 % having UIE < 50 mu g/l. The mean neonatal TSH was 2.40 (SD 1.56) mu/l, with 8-9 % of neonates having TSH > 5 mU/l. Conclusions: The studied women and their fetuses were at risk of mild iodine deficiency. About a quarter of the participants lacked knowledge of the importance of iodine. Education regarding the importance of iodine supplements and the promotion of iodized salt should be added to national health-care policies in order to prevent iodine-deficiency disorders, diseases that ire subclinical but have long-term sequelae.