[Iodine antiseptics are not harmless].

The use of iodine-containing antiseptics is still common in obstetrics and neonatology. Topical iodine given both to the mother before delivery and to the neonate causes iodine overload. The absorption of maternal iodine through the skin is so fast that iodine in the blood of the umbilical cord increases by 50% a few minutes before delivery. Iodine overload also occurs in the mother. Urinary and breast-milk iodine are increased more than 10-fold in the days after delivery if providone-iodine is used in episiotomy. The overload in the neonate is even higher if breast-fed. Particularly in iodine-deficient areas, this overload can produce thyroid blockade with undesirable effects in congenital hypothyroidism screening, raising the number of false positives and its consequences: parental anxiety and screening costs. The potential effects that this thyroid blockade can produce in the neonate are even more serious. Attention should be drawn to the undesirable effects of iodine antiseptics and their use in the perinatal period should be avoided.