07.01.14
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has issued a new policy statement that highlights the important role iodine plays in the brain development of infants.
According to the report “Iodine Deficiency, Pollutant Chemicals, and the Thyroid: New Information on an Old Problem,” many women in the U.S. are marginally iodine deficient, perhaps because salt in processed food is not iodized. Lacking sufficient iodine during gestation or while lactating can interfere with the normal brain development of the mothers’ offspring.
The statement also noted that iodine deficiency “increases vulnerability to the effects of certain environmental pollutants, such as nitrate, thiocyanate, and perchlorate.”
While it is recommended that pregnant and lactating women take a prenatal supplement containing iodide, only about 15% actually do. It was also noted that some supplements may not include any or adequate levels of iodide, or may be mislabeled.
The AAP report stated, “The American Thyroid Association recommends that pregnant and lactating women take a supplement with adequate iodide. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that pregnant and lactating women also avoid exposure to excess nitrate, which would usually occur from contaminated well water, and thiocyanate, which is in cigarette smoke. Perchlorate is currently a candidate for regulation as a water pollutant.”
Recommendations from the AAP urged the Environmental Protection Agency to address issues regarding contamination exposure, and requested intervention from FDA to regulate mislabeling of the iodine content in prenatal and lactation supplements.
Responding to AAP’s review, Duffy MacKay, ND, senior vice president, scientific and regulatory affairs, for the Council for Responsible Nutrition, commented, “We are encouraged by the new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics that both recognizes the vital role of iodine in the development of a baby’s nervous system, and recommends that pregnant and lactating women take a supplement containing iodide, a form of iodine easily absorbed by the body, to garner those benefits.”
CRN urged vitamin and supplement manufacturers to review and consider the specific recommendations from the AAP with regard to dose and iodine form.
According to the report “Iodine Deficiency, Pollutant Chemicals, and the Thyroid: New Information on an Old Problem,” many women in the U.S. are marginally iodine deficient, perhaps because salt in processed food is not iodized. Lacking sufficient iodine during gestation or while lactating can interfere with the normal brain development of the mothers’ offspring.
The statement also noted that iodine deficiency “increases vulnerability to the effects of certain environmental pollutants, such as nitrate, thiocyanate, and perchlorate.”
While it is recommended that pregnant and lactating women take a prenatal supplement containing iodide, only about 15% actually do. It was also noted that some supplements may not include any or adequate levels of iodide, or may be mislabeled.
The AAP report stated, “The American Thyroid Association recommends that pregnant and lactating women take a supplement with adequate iodide. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that pregnant and lactating women also avoid exposure to excess nitrate, which would usually occur from contaminated well water, and thiocyanate, which is in cigarette smoke. Perchlorate is currently a candidate for regulation as a water pollutant.”
Recommendations from the AAP urged the Environmental Protection Agency to address issues regarding contamination exposure, and requested intervention from FDA to regulate mislabeling of the iodine content in prenatal and lactation supplements.
Responding to AAP’s review, Duffy MacKay, ND, senior vice president, scientific and regulatory affairs, for the Council for Responsible Nutrition, commented, “We are encouraged by the new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics that both recognizes the vital role of iodine in the development of a baby’s nervous system, and recommends that pregnant and lactating women take a supplement containing iodide, a form of iodine easily absorbed by the body, to garner those benefits.”
CRN urged vitamin and supplement manufacturers to review and consider the specific recommendations from the AAP with regard to dose and iodine form.