Discuss why iodine is important, especially during pregnancy.

Iodine is a trace mineral needed to support energy regulation. Iodine is critical for the synthesis of thyroid hormones. Our bodies require thyroid hormones to regulate body temperature, maintain resting metabolic rate, and support reproduction and growth.

Too much iodine blocks the synthesis of thyroid hormones. As the thyroid attempts to produce more hormones, it may enlarge, a condition known as goitre. Goitre refers only to the enlarged thyroid gland, regardless of its cause. Iodine toxicity generally occurs due to excessive supplementation.

Paradoxically, goitre is also the primary symptom of iodine deficiency. Iodine deficiency suppresses the production of thyroid hormones, leading to hypothyroidism (low levels of thyroid hormones) and goitre. Other symptoms of hypothyroidism are decreased body temperature, inability to tolerate cold environmental temperatures, weight gain, fatigue, and sluggishness.

If a woman experiences iodine deficiency during pregnancy, her infant has a high risk of being born with a developmental disorder that results in a lower than normal IQ, referred to as cretinism. In addition to this mental disability, these infants suffer from stunted growth, deafness, and muteness. Iodine deficiency during early pregnancy has also been associated with stillbirths, spontaneous abortions, and neonatal deaths.