Endocrine Abstracts

The production of iodine containing thyroid hormones necessary for brain development in the fetus depends not only on maternal dietary intake but also on placental iodine transport.Previously, studies focused on finding the optimum level of iodine nutrition for expectant mothers. However, little knowledge exists on the ability of the placenta to either accumulate or even store iodine. This study aims to investigate iodine uptake and tissue iodine content...

Despite the relative absence of iodised salt (only ∼4% of table salt is iodised), Ireland has not been regarded as a region with a high prevalence of iodine deficiency disorders. However a recent and worrying decline in urinary iodine (UI) excretion, most marked in the summer months, was observed with median UI of 61–83 ug/L between 1988 and 1999; falling to 45.0 ug/L in 2004 and to 42.5 ug/L in 2005 with UI values <50 ug/L (64.5% and 73.9% respectively in summe...