Intellectual Potential in Children
Children with severe iodine deficiency are known have reduced IQ levels however, there is little information on the cognitive effects of mild iodine deficiency.
184 mildly iodine deficient New Zealand school children aged 10-13 years, were examined for the cognitive effects of mild iodine deficiency. In this randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial, biochemical, anthropometrical and dietary data were collected from each child at baseline and after 28 weeks. Cognitive performance was measured via four standard subtests.
Results:
At the end of 28 weeks, the children who were supplemented had increased urinary iodine concentrations and performed significantly better than the placebo group on two of the four cognitive tests.
Conclusion:
Iodine supplementation improved perceptual reasoning in these children which suggests that even mild iodine deficiency may prevent children from reaching their full intellectual potential.
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 90: 1264-1271, 2009.
Where to from here?
Make an appointment with our Naturopath Belinda to have your child checked out