Experts say that iodine deficiency in pregnant women will affect the intelligence, growth and development of the fetus, and this is often something that expectant mothers tend to ignore. It is recommended that appropriate iodine supplementation be started during the pregnancy preparation stage or 1-3 months into pregnancy. If supplementation is given after the fifth month of pregnancy, the effect may not be good.
The total amount of iodine in the body of a healthy adult is about 30 mg, 70% to 80% of which is present in the thyroid gland and participates in the synthesis of thyroid hormones. Thyroid hormone can regulate human metabolism, provide life energy, maintain a constant body temperature, and promote the growth and development of the body\’s skeletal muscles. More importantly, it can promote brain development and is called the \”intellectual element.\”
During the fetal period and children aged 0 to 2 years old, it is a critical period for brain development. If there is a lack of iodine supply at this time, sufficient thyroid hormone will not be produced, and the normal development of the brain will be hampered. Being affected, intellectual impairment occurs. Once this damage occurs, it cannot be recovered the day after tomorrow. When iodine deficiency is severe during the fetal or neonatal period, it manifests as obvious intellectual disability, with typical expressions of dementia, short stature, deafness, muteness, and even paralysis.
Compared with ordinary people, the intake of expectant mothers is 30%-100% higher than usual. The daily amount should be around 0.2μg, and it should be maintained at 175-200μg throughout pregnancy. Therefore, it is recommended that expectant mothers can supplement iodine in the following ways:
1. Method 1 of iodine supplementation: iodized salt
Add iodine to table salt , which has been compulsorily promoted in my country since 1996. This measure can effectively prevent iodine deficiency diseases. According to the amount of iodine added to table salt in my country, in order to meet the daily iodine requirement of 150 micrograms for adults, 6-8 grams of table salt should be consumed. However, pregnant women need 33% more iodine intake than non-pregnant women, which means they need to eat half a teaspoon more salt to meet their iodine needs.
2. Method 2 of iodine supplementation: multi-dimensional element tablets
Pregnant women can choose a multi-dimensional element preparation suitable for pregnancy to supplement vitamins, minerals and Micronutrients, such as \”Matna\” from Wyeth in the United States, \”Fusifu\” from Urgos in the UK, and \”Elevit\” from Bayer Pharmaceuticals, are all highly known micronutrient supplements formulated during pregnancy and childbirth. . However, among the above-mentioned multi-dimensional element preparations, only Matna contains iodine (one tablet per day can provide 150 micrograms), while neither Forsif nor Ellevi contain iodine. The domestically produced \”Eucogenic Mommy Folic Acid Multidimensional Element Tablets\” also do not contain iodine.
3. Method 3 of iodine supplementation: dietary iodine supplementation
Seaweed foods such as kelp, seaweed, wakame, etc. contain high iodine content. Pregnant mothers should eat 50 grams per week to effectively supplement iodine, but they should not be eaten in large amounts frequently.
The following foods are high in iodine content in the same category and are good choices for pregnant mothers to supplement iodine: scallops, dried shrimps, dried shrimps, dried tofu, pistachios, quail eggs, turkey legs, beef Tendon, milk, spinach, cabbage, green pepper, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, walnuts.
But expectant mothers should also note that iodine supplementation should not be excessive. In fact, the primary responsibility of iodine in the human body is to help promote thyroid hormone, so the requirement is often calculated in micrograms. Therefore, supplementation should not be too strong, otherwise it will also cause poisoning, lead to abnormal hyperthyroidism in the mother, and cause harm to the child.
