MON-585 Iodine Nutritional Status of Pregnant Women in Northern Taiwan 2018

Pregnant women has long been considered one of the most vulnerable group for iodine deficiency. Previous nutritional survey revealed that the medium urinary iodine concentration (UIC) for women at child-bearing age of 15-44 years in Taiwan was 125 μg/L (1), which is insufficient for pregnant women. However, the actual iodine nutritional status in pregnancy is unknown. The primary objective of this study was to report for the first time the iodine nutritional status of pregnant women in Taiwan. In addition, dietary sources of iodine nutrition were investigated. A hospital-based cross-sectional survey of pregnant women was conducted in Taipei Veterans General Hospital in 2018. UIC of spot urine samples was determined by inductively coupled plasma mass-spectrometry. A food frequency questionnaire was delivered. The median UIC was 242 μg/L, while 20.4% and 7.3% of the population had median UIC below 100 μg/L and 50 μg/L, respectively. Consumption of seaweeds and agar were rare and the most frequently consumed iodine-containing foods were dairy products. The use of iodine-containing dietary supplements was common (51.5% of the women consume multivitamins especially designed for pregnancy every day). The questionnaire also revealed that 42.3% of the women were unaware of the salt product (iodized or not) in their households. The results indicate that the iodine status in pregnant women in Northern Taiwan is adequate. The difference in median UIC in pregnant women and women at child-bearing age generally may be related to the common use of iodine-supplement during pregnancy.