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A Cohort Study on the Effects of Maternal High Serum Iodine Status During Pregnancy on Infants in Terms of Iodine Status and Intellectual, Motor, and Physical Development

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Abstract

The objective of the present study was to explore the effects of maternal iodine excess during pregnancy on infants’ neurodevelopment and physical development. A total of 143 mother–child pairs were enrolled in this cohort study. Maternal blood samples were collected during the obstetric examination. A mother–child questionnaire survey was conducted, and infants’ blood samples were collected during the newborn physical examination. Infants’ single-spot urine samples were collected, and intellectual, motor, and physical development were assessed at 2 months of age. The median (IQR) maternal serum iodine concentrations (SICs) in the first, second, and third trimesters of pregnancy were 91.2 (74.4, 102.2) μg/L, 81.2 (70.6, 94.8) μg/L, and 82.0 (68.9, 100.3) μg/L, respectively. In the first trimester of pregnancy, infants’ psychomotor developmental index (PDI), body mass index (BMI) and weight-for-length Z score (WLZ) were higher with maternal suitable SIC (40 ~ 92 μg/L) than with maternal excess SIC (P < 0.05). Infants’ PDI, BMI, weight-for-age Z score (WAZ) and WLZ were negatively correlated with maternal SIC (P < 0.05). Maternal excess SIC had a slightly negative effect on infants’ MDI (OR = 1.304, P = 0.035, 95% CI = 1.019 ~ 1.668), PDI (OR = 1.124, P = 0.001, 95% CI = 1.052 ~ 1.200) and BMI (OR = 0.790, P = 0.005, 95% CI = 0.669 ~ 0.933). In the third trimester, infants’ length-for-age Z score (LAZ) was higher with maternal high SIC (> 92 μg/L) (P = 0.015), and maternal SIC was positively correlated with infants’ urine iodine concentration (UIC) (P = 0.026). Maternal iodine excess in the first trimester had a slightly negative effect on infants’ intellectual, motor, and physical development. In the third trimester, maternal iodine excess only may have a positive impact on infants’ height. Additionally, maternal iodine status was closely related to infants’ iodine status.

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Data Availability

The datasets generated during and analyzed during the current study are not publicly available due to protect participant’s privacy but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

We are sincerely grateful to all participants and the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University for their cooperation.

Funding

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant no.81830098) and the Natural Science Foundation of Heilongjiang Province of China (Grant no.TD2019H001).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Endemic Disease Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150081, China

    Sihan Wang, Dianjun Sun & Lijun Fan

  2. The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150001, China

    Ye Bu, Qingliang Shao & Yan Cai

Authors
  1. Sihan Wang
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  2. Ye Bu
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  3. Qingliang Shao
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  4. Yan Cai
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  5. Dianjun Sun
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  6. Lijun Fan
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Contributions

Sihan Wang and Ye Bu conceived and designed the study, conducted the participants, samples and data collection, and completed the laboratory analysis. Sihan Wang analyzed the data and wrote the paper. Qingliang Shao and Yan Cai contributed to collect participants. Dianjun Sun and Lijun Fan contributed to revise the paper. All authors read and approved the final draft of the manuscript.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Dianjun Sun or Lijun Fan.

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Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Ethics Approval

The present study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Center for Endemic Disease Control of the Harbin Medical University (HRBMUECDC20211002). All procedures performed in the study involving human participants were in accordance with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments.

Consent to Participate

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study. Written informed consent was signed by participants.

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The authors affirm that human research participants provided informed consent for the publication of their data results.

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Wang, S., Bu, Y., Shao, Q. et al. A Cohort Study on the Effects of Maternal High Serum Iodine Status During Pregnancy on Infants in Terms of Iodine Status and Intellectual, Motor, and Physical Development. Biol Trace Elem Res 202, 133–144 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-023-03677-1

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