If a woman has a severe iodine deficiency during pregnancy her child may have?

Answer 1

Iodine deficiency is especially important

in women who are pregnant or nursing their infants. Severe iodine

deficiency in the mother has been associated with miscarriages,

stillbirth, preterm delivery, and congenital abnormalities in their babies.

Children of mothers with severe iodine deficiency during pregnancy

can have mental retardation and problems with growth, hearing, and

speech. In the most severe form, an under active thyroid can result in

cretinism (a syndrome characterized by permanent brain damage,

mental retardation, deaf mutism, spasticity, and short stature), though

this is not seen in the United States. Congenital hypothyroidism due to

iodine deficiency is the most common preventable cause of mental

retardation in the world. Even mild iodine deficiency during pregnancy,

which may be present in some women in the United States, may be

associated with low intelligence in children.

1 SYMPTOMS

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1

What is iodine deficiency?

Iodine is an element that is needed for the production of

thyroid hormone. The body does not make iodine, so it is an

essential part of your diet. Iodine is found in various foods

(see Table 1). If you do not have enough iodine in your body, you cannot make enough thyroid

hormone. Thus, iodine deficiency can lead to enlargement of the thyroid (goiter - see Goiter

brochure), hypothyroidism (see Hypothyroidism brochure) and to mental retardation in infants and

children whose mothers were iodine deficient during pregnancy.

Before the 1920s, iodine deficiency was common in the Great Lakes, Appalachian, and Northwestern

U.S. regions and in most of Canada. Treatment of iodine deficiency by the introduction of iodized salt

has virtually eliminated the "goiter belt" in these areas. However, many other parts of the world do

not have enough iodine available through their diet and iodine deficiency continues to be an

important public health problem globally. Approximately 40% of the world's population remains at risk

for iodine deficiency.

Answer 2

cretinism