Nutritional iodine status among women in gestational and lactational period in areas with intervention of salt iodization project, Jiangsu province

ObjectiveTo examine the nutritional iodine status amongwomen in gestational and lactationalperiod after the implementation of saltiodization projectin 5 counties, Jiangsu province.MethodsUrine iodine concentration, iodine concentration in salt and salt consumption were measured among the women in gestational and lactational period and without any iodine-rich medications.Estimated iodine intake (EII) was calculated by urine iodine concentration multiplying the average urine voluma The recommended iodine intake (RII) of World Health Organization was referred as evaluation standard.ResultsThe median EII of 1, 243 women was 285.0μg/d, which was 42.5% higher than the WHO's RII (200μg/d).Up to 30% of the women's EII were lower than the WHO RII The average iodine intake from environmental sources was 78μg/d, and the average iodine intake from iodized salt was 208.7μg/d In the marked 11.4%-12% salt samples were tested without any iodine.ConclusionIn the intervention area, the iodine intake of most women in gestational and lactational period reached the WHO recommendatory standard.However, 30% of these women's EII is lower than the standard.There is an increasing trend in non-iodized saltin the market, which may introduce potential risk to women.