- Iodine supplement in pregnancy
- Foods rich in iodine are also indicated
- Ideal values of Iodine in pregnancy
Iodine supplementation in pregnancy is important to prevent miscarriage or problems in the baby's development such as mental retardation. Iodine is a nutrient present, especially in seaweed and fish, important in pregnancy to ensure the baby's health, especially in the formation of hormones.
The recommended amount of iodine in pregnancy is 200 to 250 mcg per day, equivalent to 1 piece of salmon, 1 cup of milk, 1 egg and 2 slices of cheese, which is, in general, easily achieved through regular diet. woman. In Brazil, iodine deficiency is very rare because salt is normally enriched with iodine, making it even easier to reach basic recommendations.
Iodine supplement in pregnancy
Iodine supplementation in pregnancy may be necessary when the values are low and, in this case, it is customary to take tablets of 150 to 200 mcg of potassium iodide daily. In addition, WHO has indicated that every woman who is trying to conceive or who is already pregnant should take an iodine supplement to protect the baby.
Supplementation has to be prescribed by the doctor or nutritionist and can be started before conception and is necessary throughout pregnancy and as long as the baby's feeding is exclusively breast milk.
Foods rich in iodine are also indicated
Foods with iodine are mainly foods of marine origin, such as fish, seafood and shellfish.
Iodized salt is also one of the main ways to ingest iodine, however, one teaspoon per day should not be exceeded. See more examples of iodine-rich foods.
Ideal values of Iodine in pregnancy
To check if the amount of iodine is adequate in pregnancy, it is necessary to have a urine test and the iodine must be between 150 and 249 mcg / L. If the result is:
- Less than 99 g / L means you have iodine deficiency. Between 100 to 299 g / L are adequate values of iodine. Above 300 g / L, there is excess iodine in the body.
The changes in iodine in the mother's body can also be related to the malfunction of the thyroid, even during pregnancy and, therefore, blood tests are usually done to check the functioning of thyroid hormones. For example, iodine deficiency is a major cause of hypothyroidism, which corresponds to slow thyroid function. To learn more about hypothyroidism in pregnancy see: Hypothyroidism in pregnancy.
