Iodine Status Monitoring in PortUguese Pregnant woMen: Impact of Supplementation

Data from 2007 regarding iodine status among Portuguese pregnant women indicate this is an iodine deficient population group, with only 16.8% presenting adequate urinary iodine values. This may have serious implications for normal cognitive development of the offspring and a concerning socioeconomic impact. In 2013, concerns by the Portuguese Directorate-General of Health lead to the implementation of a public health policy (nº 011/2013) recommending iodine supplementation during pregnancy. IoMum emerges from this context to monitor and update iodine status in Portuguese pregnant women and to evaluate the effectiveness of the above policy by assessing clinical compliance to iodine supplementation and the impact of iodine supplementation in this vulnerable group. IoMum will update data on iodine nutrition in Portuguese pregnant women, promoting political actions towards the elimination of iodine deficiency and thus to the reduction of nutritional, social and economic inequalities.