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Low Iodine Intake Associated With Risk of Perinatal and Postpartum Emotional Distress and Depression
Low iodine levels were associated with a higher risk of perinatal and postpartum emotional distress and depression, according to a study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders.
“The association with symptoms of emotional distress (HSCL-5) at 6 months postpartum was evident after adjusting for HSCL-5 assessed in pregnancy, suggesting that a low habitual iodine intake from food may contribute to increased symptoms of postpartum emotional distress and depression,” lead author Anne Lise Brantsæter, division of climate and environmental health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway, and co-authors noted.
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Researchers analyzed data of 67,812 women with 77,927 pregnancies from the Norwegian Mother, Father, and Child Cohort Study. Emotional distress and depressive symptoms were self-reported during participants’ pregnancies and then again at 6 months postpartum. Iodine intake was measured through a food frequency questionnaire mid-pregnancy. Participants had a mean age of 30.2 years at the time of their childbirths, and 74% had an iodine intake level lower than the estimated average requirement for pregnant people: 160 micrograms a day (μg/d).
Median iodine intake from food was found to be 121 μg/d and the prevalence of emotional distress high scores was 6.6% during pregnancy and 5.8% postpartum. High scores on postpartum depression were 10.3%. Low iodine intake (lower than 100 to 150 μg/d) was associated with an increased risk of both perinatal and postpartum emotional distress and depression. However, use of iodine supplements was associated with an increased risk of perinatal emotional distress compared to no supplement use.
“This study is the first to indicate that insufficient maternal habitual iodine intake is associated with symptoms of perinatal emotional distress and depression. However, use of iodine supplements provided no benefit but was associated with higher prevalence of emotional distress and depression,” researchers concluded. “Thus, the results must be interpreted with care. The study needs to be replicated by other well-powered studies in mild-to-moderately iodine-deficient populations. Nonetheless, attention should be given to secure adequate habitual iodine intake in young girls and women of childbearing age.”
