What are iodine deficiency disorders?
A diet lacking in iodine is associated with a wide spectrum of adverse health effects collectively known as iodine deficiency disorders (IDDs). IDDs can impact on people of all ages, but most severely on the baby while it is developing in the womb or in the period soon after birth. Goitre is the best known, but least important of the disorders. Iodine deficiency has the greatest impact during pregnancy, due to its devastating effects on the baby’s developing brain and also on physical growth. In the worst cases of severe iodine deficiency, a child may be born with cretinism, a condition characterised by severe mental retardation, growth stunting, apathy, and impaired movement, speech or hearing. However, even mild iodine deficiency can impair development and cause subtle deficits in visual motor skills, hearing and intelligence. Iodine deficiency is regarded as the world’s greatest cause of preventable brain damage, resulting in an estimated 80 million children suffering from some form
