Abstract
BackgroundEvidence regarding child iodine intake and neurodevelopment is scarce. MethodsWe aimed to assess the impact of child iodine intake at 4 years of age on cognitive and motor development at 4 and 6 years among 304 children from the Rhea cohort on Crete, Greece. Child iodine intake was assessed via urinary iodine concentrations (UIC) measured using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) and adjusted for specific gravity. Child cognitive and motor development was assessed using the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities (MSCA) at 4 years of age and Raven’s Coloured Progressive Matrices (RCPM), Finger Tapping Test (FTT), and Trail Making Test (TMT) at 6 years. Associations were explored using multivariable-adjusted linear regression analyses with UIC categorized according to WHO criteria [insufficient intake <100 µg/L, adequate 100–299 µg/L (reference group), excessive ≥300 µg/L]. ResultsThe children’s median UIC was 249 µg/L (25–75th percentile: 181–344 μg/L). Children with UIC <100 μg/L had lower scores in the motor scale at 4 years (MSCA-motor scale: B=-10.3; 95 %CI −19.9, −0.6; n=10) and in intelligence at 6 years (RCPM-total score: B=-3.6, 95 %CI −6.8, −0.5; n=9) than children in the reference group. No associations were found with the general cognitive scale at 4 years or with TMT and FTT scales at 6 years. Children with UIC ≥300 μg/L had lower cognitive scores both at 4 (MSCA; B= −3.5; 95 %CI −6.9, −0.1; n =101) and 6 years of age (RCPM-total score; B= −1.2; 95 %CI −2.3, −0.0; n =98) than children in the reference group. No associations were observed with the motor scale at 4 years or with TMT and FTT scales at 6 years. ConclusionOur findings indicate that both low and excessive iodine intake at preschool age may adversely affect child cognitive abilities. Additionally, low iodine intake may also impact motor abilities.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have