Associations of Maternal Serum Iodine Concentration with Obstetric Complications and Birth Outcomes—Longitudinal Analysis Based on the Huizhou Mother–Infant Cohort, South China

Abstract

This study aimed to explore the temporal associations between maternal serum iodine concentration (SIC) and common pregnancy outcomes in Chinese women. Eligible singleton pregnant women aged 20–34 years were selected, and their fasting blood samples were collected during early (T1, n = 1101) and mid-pregnancy (T2, n = 403) for SIC testing by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Multivariable linear regression indicated that log10SIC at T1 (β = −0.082), T2 (β = −0.198), and their % change (β = −0.131) were inversely associated with gestational weight gain (GWG, all p < 0.05). Maternal log10SIC at both T1 (β = 0.077) and T2 (β = 0.105) were positively associated with the Apgar score at 1 min (both p < 0.05). Women in the third quartile (Q3) of SIC at T1 had a lower risk of small for gestational age (SGA, OR = 0.405, 95% CI: 0.198–0.829) compared with those in Q4. Restricted cubic spline regression suggested a U-shaped association between SIC and SGA risk, and SIC above 94 μg/L at T1 was the starting point for an increased risk of SGA. The risk of premature rupture of membrane (PROM) increased by 96% (OR = 1.960, 95% CI: 1.010–3.804) in Q4 compared to that in Q1. Our longitudinal data from an iodine-replete region of China indicated that high maternal SIC could restrict GWG and improve Apgar scores at delivery, but might increase the risk of SGA and PROM.