Iodine Pills for Pregnant Women Can Help Produce Genius Babies

Iodine is a nutrient often associated with thyroid health and how it helps fight goiter in most women. However, a new study has discovered that iodine may also greatly affect the brain development of a fetus and can be directly linked to the possibility of increasing the child's intelligence quotient (IQ).

According to NDTV Food, the team from the University of Birmingham has related the use of iodine supplements during pregnancy and lactation to higher IQ and improved health among kids, helping even the government to save budget that can be used for the improvement of their society and healthcare system.

Professor Kate Jolly, coauthor of the study, explained that iodine deficiency plays a significant role in the mental retardation of children in the world, even when the insufficiency is mild. She said it is time for iodine supplements to be universally available in the world market to avoid the growing problem of mental impairment and delayed brain development among children.

The Telegraph UK elaborates how the study process went, stating that the researchers have used data taken from Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children and as the results suggest that 67 percent of British women are suffering from mild up to moderate iodine deficiency. By converting into points how iodine supplements can affect the development of the child's brains, the researchers have noted a possibility of an added 1.22 IQ points in every child, leading to an increase of £44,476 contribution per pregnancy.

Currently, there are no national guidelines on how much or how pregnant women should take iodine supplements even though pregnancy and lactation demand an increase in the intake of this nutrient. Complications resulting from iodine deficiency includes stillbirth, miscarriage, thyroid problem and physical disabilities.

In an effort to put an end to mental retardation, institutions like the World Health Organization (WHO) encourage expecting and lactating women to include iodine as part of their daily supplements.

However, BBC News reports that the Public Health England (PHE), an agency of the United Kingdom's Department of Health, believes there is no need for a supplementary pill as diet can be enough to alleviate the deficiency. Dr. Louis Levy, head of the nutrition science, diet and obesity sector at PHE, said iodine can be supplied from milk, fish and other dairy foods.

The study has been published in journal The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology last Aug. 10.