Prenatal Dairy, Seafood Intake May Increase Child's IQ

LONDONPregnant women who consume iodine-rich foods, such as milk, dairy products and seafood, may help boost their children's IQs, according to a new study published in The Lancet. The findings suggest iodine deficiency during gestation can pose a risk to the developing infant.

Researchers assessed whether mild iodine deficiency during early pregnancy was associated with an adverse effect on child cognitive development by analyzing mother-child pairs from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). They measured urinary iodine concentration in a sample of 1,040 first-trimester pregnant women, then researchers measured IQ levels of the offspring at age 8 years.

Mothers with iodine-to-creatinine ratios of less than 150 g/g were more likely to have children with scores in the lowest quartile for verbal IQ, reading accuracy, and reading comprehension compared to mothers with ratios of 150 g/g or more. When the less than 150 g/g group was subdivided, scores continued to worsen from 150 g/g or more, to 50-150 g/g to less than 50 g/g.

The researchers' interpretation of these results show the importance of adequate iodine status during early gestation, emphasizing the risk iodine deficiency can pose to the developing infant, even in a country classified as only mildly iodine deficient.

"Pregnant women and those planning a pregnancy should ensure adequate iodine intake," said Sarah Bath, a co-author and registered dietitian."Good dietary sources are milk, dairy products and fish."