Urine Iodine Levels of Lactating Mothers and their Children Living in Kuche County of Akesu District before and after Taking Iodine-oil Pills

Objectives To investigate the nutritional state of iodine in lactating mothers and their infants in Kuche County, Akesu District and the change of urine iodine levels after taking iodine-oil pills in order to provide theoretical basis for guiding the supply of iodine-oil pill in key population.

Methods A total of 109 pairs of lactating women and their children (20-day to 18-month of age) not taking iodine pills for half a year from 4 villages were selected to carry out an on-site interventional investigation. Urine samples of mothers and their infants collected at the 1^st, 3^rd, 7^th, 14^th, 30^th, 50^th, 75^th and 100^th day after taking the pills in the experimental group and not taking the pills in the control group were digested by ammonium persulfate and iodine levels were detected by arsenic cerium catalytic spectrophotometry, respectively.

Results The median of urine iodine of mothers in the intervention group and control group was 136.54μg/L and 114.90μg/L; 39.80% and 42.00% of them were < 100 μg/L and 68.66% and 70. 00% of them were < 200 μg/L, respectively. The medium of urine iodine for children in the intervention group and control group was 251. 45 μg/L and 260. 75μg/L; 15.30% and 10.00% of them were < 100 μg/L, respectively. The intervention with iodine-oil pills can improve the iodine levels of mothers and children.

Conclusions It is a feasible and good way of providing iodinated oil pills for lactating mothers to improve the iodine nutritional status and to ensure the normal brain development of infants.