Women who are pregnant are at high risk for iodine deficiency. In fact, healthcare providers say that getting enough iodine is one of the keys to a healthy pregnancy. When you’re expecting, you need approximately 50 percent more iodine than when you aren’t pregnant.
You are also at risk if you consume foods that are grown locally and you live in a place where the soil is iodine deficient. This is most common in mountainous regions and river valleys in other parts of the world. For example, iodine deficiency is common in the Andes and South and Southeast Asia.
Yet another risk occurs if you don’t consume enough iodine in your diet, and at the same time, eat foods containing goitrogens. Goitrogens inhibit the body’s ability to use iodine. You can find goitrogens in soy. Plus, they can be found in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower. That said, this is not usually a concern in the United States.
Iodine deficiency can cause numerous health problems. The first of these is that your body might not be able to produce enough thyroid hormone, causing the thyroid to become enlarged. It can lead to hypothyroidism, which can increase the risk of miscarriage in pregnancy.
Further, a lack of iodine can be very dangerous to fetuses. According to the NIH, fetuses need iodine in the womb, and infants need it too. This means that you’ve got to take steps to boost iodine levels.
For moms who are breastfeeding, iodine comes through breastmilk. So a breastfeeding mom’s iodine levels will affect how much iodine breastmilk contains. Many organizations recommend that both pregnant and breastfeeding women supplement with iodine. Be sure to choose a supplement that contains iodine; experts say that just half of the prenatal vitamins on the market have iodine in them.