Severe iodine deficiency is a major cause of irreversible, yet preventable, brain damage, and a problem normally associated with the developing world. However, research is now finding that mild deficiency levels in pregnant women in the UK, and other developed countries, can impair their child's cognitive development.
Early years settings can help tackle the problem by promoting healthy eating habits in young children and their families and in alerting mothers to the importance of iodine in their diet before and during pregnancy.
What is iodine and why is it important in our diets?
Iodine is a naturally occurring mineral and an essential component of thyroid hormones. These are secreted into the blood and carried to every tissue in the body, so regulating the body's metabolism and keeping muscles, brain and other organs functioning normally. The body does not make iodine, so it is a vital part of our diet.
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