Iodine deficiency can cause developmental delays

FIRST, they tell you that calcium is crucial for expectant women as the baby needs it to develop healthy bones. Next, it was DHA (Docosa­hexaenoic acid) found in fish oil, deemed very important for brain development. Of course, folic acid (vitamin B9 or folacin) has always been right up there in all the pregnancy manuals that you read, and it’s the first thing the doctor prescribes when you tell him you’re planning to have a baby or already expecting one.

Now, the latest research reveals that iodine may have been left out of the equation. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that almost two billion people worldwide – comprising more than 300 million children in 54 countries – still have inadequate iodine intake. Unicef (United Nations Children’s Fund) estimates that more than 41 million newborns annually are not protected from iodine deficiency.

Iodine is important for the normal development of a baby’s brain and nervous stytem, especially during pregnancy and in a child’s first three years of life. A lack of iodine during pregnancy and early childhood can cause developmental delay and lead to a reduction in mental performance, and the damage is irreversible. According to WHO, iodine deficiency disorder (IDD) is the world’s most prevalent yet easily preventable cause of brain damage.

“Among other vitamins and nutrients, pregnant women need iodine both while pregnant and breastfeeding as it is essential for a baby’s normal mental development during the first trimester,” says consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Premitha Damo­daran during a discussion aimed at generating iodine awareness organised by Blackmores (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd.