Articles — iodine

Adequate iodine intake is essential for the thyroid gland to produce the right amount of thyroid hormone. For this reason, iodine deficiency during pregnancy and iodine deficiency in infancy can contribute to intellectual deficits in children. For these reasons, pregnant women should pay attention to the iodine content in the prenatal formula that they are taking to avoid thyroid hormone deficiency while the brain of their unborn baby is developing. After birth, babies require a sufficient and adequate iodine intake, which is often provided through breast milk or infant formulas. Generally speaking, if the breast feeding mother continues to take...

Once pregnancy is recognized by the human body, the maternal thyroid immediately begins to undergo changes in order to provide the offspring the ability to develop normally. Thyroid hormone regulates the health of the placenta and is an essential chemical for normal brain development. Gestation strongly influences the maternal thyroid and in turn, the maternal thyroid is stimulated to produce more thyroid hormones needed for fetal development. Mild thyroid disfunction can be difficult to diagnose during pregnancy because thyroid hormone levels and TSH levels do change as a result of the pregnancy itself. For this reason, gestational reference ranges for...

Q: I am 59 years old and have been taking Levothyroxine since I was approximately 30 years old. Recently, a new doctor put me on Armour Thyroid (75 MG). Last year, a blood test showed that I have Hasimoto's. I am confused about your recent post about iodine. If taking iodine can lead to Hashimoto's, what about taking it after you already have it? Why would that be beneficial if it can actually cause hypothyroidism?  A: First of all, since you were diagnosed with hypothyroidism at age 30, you have likely been suffering from Hashimoto's thyroiditis since that time as well. Hashimoto's...