Giulio Ozzola1, Lucia Gasbarri2, Carlo Montaini3. 1. Unità operativa laboratorio analisi chimico cliniche e microbiologiche, AUSL 8, Arezzo. giulio.ozzola@uslsudest.toscana.it. 2. Unità operativa laboratorio analisi chimico cliniche e microbiologiche, AUSL 8, Arezzo. 3. Zona distretto casentino, AUSL 8, Arezzo.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: to assess if the iodine intake of pregnant women had increased or not after the introduction of Law no. 55 of March 2005 («Provisions aimed at the prevention of endemic goitre and other diseases from iodine deficiency») and if it reached the levels recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO). DESIGN: evaluation of ioduria values in the female local population enrolled. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: in 4 different years, 100 women per year (400 women in all) were enrolled in this study. All women were residing in the same Apennine valley; 200 of them were pregnant, the other 200 were in childbearing age but not pregnant. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: comparison of the median values of ioduria among the 4 groups of women examined. RESULTS: in 2003, in blood-donor women examined for ioduria the median value was 68.48 µg/L; in blood-donor women examined in 2013 the median value for ioduria was 130 µg/L; the difference between the two groups is statistically significant. In the 100 pregnant women examined in the middle of 2011 the median value for ioduria was 64 µg/L, while for those recruited in the middle of 2013 it was 107 µg/L; the difference is statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: from the introduction of the Law No. 55/2005 the median value of ioduria is strongly increased in all groups examined. It should be noted that in 2013 fertile non-pregnant women have attained a median that falls within the range recommended by WHO, while pregnant women in the first trimester have not yet reached the median recommended by WHO, although attaining a significant increase compared to the middle of 2011.
OBJECTIVES: to assess if the iodine intake of pregnant women had increased or not after the introduction of Law no. 55 of March 2005 («Provisions aimed at the prevention of endemic goitre and other diseases from iodine deficiency») and if it reached the levels recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO). DESIGN: evaluation of ioduria values in the female local population enrolled. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: in 4 different years, 100 women per year (400 women in all) were enrolled in this study. All women were residing in the same Apennine valley; 200 of them were pregnant, the other 200 were in childbearing age but not pregnant. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: comparison of the median values of ioduria among the 4 groups of women examined. RESULTS: in 2003, in blood-donorwomen examined for ioduria the median value was 68.48 µg/L; in blood-donorwomen examined in 2013 the median value for ioduria was 130 µg/L; the difference between the two groups is statistically significant. In the 100 pregnant women examined in the middle of 2011 the median value for ioduria was 64 µg/L, while for those recruited in the middle of 2013 it was 107 µg/L; the difference is statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: from the introduction of the Law No. 55/2005 the median value of ioduria is strongly increased in all groups examined. It should be noted that in 2013 fertile non-pregnant women have attained a median that falls within the range recommended by WHO, while pregnant women in the first trimester have not yet reached the median recommended by WHO, although attaining a significant increase compared to the middle of 2011.