What is iodine deficiency?
Iodine deficiency is caused by a lack of iodine, a chemical element essential to the body’s physical and mental development, in a person’s diet. It is the single most common cause of preventable mental retardation and brain damage in the world. Is iodine deficiency common in the United States? Iodine deficiency is now rare in the U.S. as a result of widespread distribution of foods from iodine sufficient areas. The incidence of iodine deficiency occurs in certain geographical areas at higher altitudes with iodine depleted soil – usually in areas away from the seacoast and in countries where salt is not fortified with iodine. Does iodine deficiency affect women more than men? Iodine deficiency is more prevalent in women than in men, and more common in pregnant women and adolescents. What is the role of iodine in the body? Iodine is an essential element for thyroid function, necessary for the normal growth, development and functioning of the brain and body. It also influences a variety o
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 below). 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
Hospitalization statistics for Iodine deficiency: The following are statistics from various sources about hospitalizations and Iodine deficiency: • 0.0002% (28) of hospital consultant episodes were for congenital iodine-deficiency syndrome in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03) • 96% of hospital consultant episodes for congenital iodine-deficiency syndrome required hospital admission in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03) • 89% of hospital consultant episodes for congenital iodine-deficiency syndrome were for men in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03) • 11% of hospital consultant episodes for congenital iodine-deficiency syndrome were for women in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03) • 89% of hospital consultant episodes for congenital iodine-deficiency syndrome required emergency hospital
