A new study has found that the administration of iodine supplements during pregnancy may help to enhance the Intelligence Quotient (IQ) of babies and save on overall health costs.
Past studies show that babies whose mothers are mildly iodine deficient during pregnancy may suffer from irreversible cognitive damage. These findings may signify a variety of implications since a low IQ score may pose negative consequences on health, income, overall economic status, education and societal outcomes.
Pregnant and lactating women are said to have an increased requirement for iodine content; however, no recommendations in the UK have been released with regard to this matter. With this, the researchers of the new study wanted to delve into the cost-effectiveness of pregnant women receiving iodine supplementation and those who do not.
The researchers particularly wanted to perform their experiment among women living in communities with mild to moderate iodine deficiency, where iodization programs did not exist.
For the economic parameters that associate income and IQ level, the team of experts gathered data from 1,361 studies conducted by NHS EED, MEDLINE, EconLit and Embase until Aug. 21, 2014. A primary study became the basis of the researchers for their data pertaining to clinical information, which links iodine deficiency during pregnancy and the effects on IQ levels in their children aged 8 years old to 9 years old.
The findings of the study, published in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology, show that for the offspring group, the lifetime value of having an added IQ point based on earnings is about £3,297 or approximately $5,139. Iodine supplementation yielded cost-effectiveness savings of £199 or $310 (health costs) and £4,476 or $6,979 (social costs) per pregnant woman. The net average increase in the child's IQ made by the researchers was 1.22 points.
"Even mild iodine deficiency during pregnancy is associated with children with lower IQs," said Kate Jolly, co-author and a professor of public health at the University of Birmingham.
In conclusion, the researchers say that supplementing iodine to pregnant women in the UK is possibly cost-saving. These findings may also be relevant to other countries with iodine deficiency problems, they believe.
