Assessment of Iodine Deficiency among School-Going Children of Age Group 6 to 12 Years in Kachchh District, Gujarat State: Cross-Sectional Hospital-Based Study

Abstract

Aim Iodine deficiency disorder (IDD) is the cause of preventable brain damage, mental retardation, and stunted growth and development in children. This study aimed to detect the prevalence of IDD in Kachchh district, Gujarat, by testing urinary iodine excretion levels and iodine intake of salts in school-going children. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted and the level of iodine deficiency was assessed in 223 school children of both sexes, aged 6 to 12 years from four talukas, that is, subdivisions, of the Kachchh district by estimating urinary iodine using Sandell–Kolthoff reaction along with iodine content in edible salt samples by MBI kit (STK-Spot testing kit, MBI Kits International, Chennai, TN, India). Results The median urinary iodine level was found to be 194 μg/L, indicating no biochemical iodine deficiency in the region. In the study areas, 1% of the population showed a level of urinary iodine excretion < 50 μg/L. About 83% salt samples had iodine level more than 15 ppm and the iodine content in salt samples less than 15 ppm was only about 17%, indicating the salt samples at households contain iodine in adequate level. Conclusion There is a need of periodic surveys to assess the change in magnitude of IDD with respect to impact of iodized salt intervention.Furthermore, to strengthen National Iodine Deficiency Disorders Control Program, factors should be identified. There is also a need to prevent and reimpose the ban on the sale of noniodized salts in Gujarat.

Burden of Goitre and Urinary Iodine Status among Primary School Children in Kashmir, India—Evidence from a Population-Based Iodine Deficiency Disorder Survey

“…[ 24 ] In contrast, the goitre prevalence is quite low in the rest of India ranging between 1.9% in Madhya Pradesh to 4.0% in Gujarat. [ 25 , 26 ] This variation could be due to the varied geographical and environmental conditions seen in the country.…”

The Beneficial Impact of Iron-Fortified Complementary Feeding in the Burden of Iron Deficiency Anaemia (IDA) in Children of Bangladesh

“…Despite this, Fe only provides 41-82% of the RDA for different population groups. Some parts of Bangladesh appear to have significant groundwater concentrations of Fe, primarily in the ferrous (Fe2+) form, which is more bioavailable than the ferric form [11]. [31].…”

“…These points highlight the significance of other hematopoietic micronutrients in managing and preventing 90-95 percent of anemia cases [15]. Non-nutritional causes of anemia include worm infestation, malaria, chronic infections, and genetic abnormalities (e.g., hemoglobinopathies) [8,11,12]. Although there are no national statistics on the incidence of thalassemia, it is believed to be a factor; one study found that thalassemia prevalence was 28%, which is associated with an increased risk of anemia [7].…”

“…The World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Institute of Medicine suggest daily iron intakes of 9.3 mg and 11 mg for children aged 6 to 12 months, respectively, due to the high pace of growth during this period [11]. For children between the ages of 12 and 24 months, the recommended daily iron intake is 5.8 mg to 7 mg, as opposed to 6 to 12 months [1,2].…”

“…A recent meta-analysis examining the effects of iron supplementation on neurodevelopment in children with non-anemic iron deficiency found insufficient evidence since just two studies including children between the ages of one and five could be discovered [30]. Ferritin remained unchanged in the Bangladesh trial, while supplemented children had a comparable increased height growth pace [11]. The potential for interactions with other micronutrients is one problem with these multiple micronutrient experiments.…”