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Cited by 17Thyroid Disorders and TreatmentsChild Nutrition and Water AccessFatty Acid Research and Health

Effect of Iodine Nutrition During Pregnancy and Lactation on Child Cognitive Outcomes: A Review

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Ma, Zheng Feei, Brough, Louise·2025·Nutrients
DOI 10.3390/nu17122016PMC PMC12196286
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Abstract

Iodine deficiency remains one of the most serious global public health challenges, recognised as the leading cause of preventable brain damage worldwide. It is widely accepted as the primary aetiological factor underlying iodine deficiency disorders (IDD). Inadequate maternal iodine intake reduces thyroxine synthesis, impairing foetal brain development and leading to long-term deficits in cognitive function across childhood and adulthood. However, emerging evidence also suggests that excessive iodine intake may disrupt thyroid function, particularly in individuals with underlying thyroid autoimmunity, potentially leading to adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. In this state-of-the-art review, we examine the effects of iodine nutrition during pregnancy and lactation on child cognitive outcomes. We provide an overview of the recent global iodine status, critically appraise the current evidence linking both iodine deficiency and excess to neurodevelopmental outcomes, and offer expert interpretation of the key findings. We further highlight areas of uncertainty, introduce emerging evidence from contemporary studies, and propose directions for future research to inform and optimise public health policies and clinical practice. Our findings highlight a U-shaped association, whereby both insufficient and excessive iodine exposure during pregnancy and lactation may impair optimal brain development in the offspring.

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  87. [89]Piek J.P. Dawson L. Smith L.M. Gasson N. The role of early fine and gross motor development on later motor and cognitive ability Hum. Mov. Sci. 2008 27 668 681 10.1016/j.humov.2007.11.002 18242747 · DOI

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Ma, Z. F., & Brough, L.
Affiliations
  • School of Health and Social Wellbeing, College of Health, Science and Society, University of the West of England, Bristol BS16 1QY, UK
  • Massey University (NZ)
ORCID
Venue
Nutrients
Publisher
MDPI AG
Published
2025-06-16
Volume
17
Issue
12
Pages
2016
ISSN
2072-6643 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.3390/nu17122016
PMC
PMC12196286
OpenAlex
W4411339090
Cited by
17
References
0
Citations by year
2026: 12 · 2025: 5
FWCI
2.31
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Nutrients (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • UWE Research Repository (UWE Bristol) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Thyroid Disorders and Treatments
  • Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Child Nutrition and Water Access
  • Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Fatty Acid Research and Health
Keywords
iodine nutrition, iodine deficiency disorders, iodine excess, pregnancy, lactation, child cognitive outcomes, brain development, maternal iodine intake, thyroid autoimmunity, U-shaped relationship, fetal brain development, public health policy
MeSH terms
Child, Child Development, Cognition, Female, Humans, Iodine, Lactation, Nutritional Status, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Complications, Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects, Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena

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Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

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