URINARY IODINE EXCRETION AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN ATTENDING ANTENATAL CLINIC AT UNIVERSITY OF MAIDUGURI TEACHING HOSPITAL, MAIDUGURI, NORTH-EASTERN NIGERIA: A PILOT STUDY

A. H. Musa*, D. S. Mshelia, H. A. Sakina, R. M. Gali and P. Y. Mamza

ABSTRACT

Background: Worldwide, iodine deficiency in pregnancy remains the most common preventable cause of brain damage and mental retardation and urinary iodine excretion is a good marker of recent dietary iodine intake as most iodine ingested eventually appears in the urine(>90%) Objective: This study was aimed to assess the iodine status of pregnant women in their various trimesters attending antenatal clinic in a tertiary health care centre Methods: Measurement of urinary iodine is the most common method to monitor dietary iodine intake. Random urine was collect from pregnant women who were recruited consecutively in the antenatal clinic of UMTH, Maiduguri, during their routine antenatal visit. Urinary iodine was measured using Ammonium persulfate method Result: Median urinary iodine excretion for both the pregnant and nonpregnant generally fall in the category of mild iodine deficiency. Urinary excretion is generally low in all the three trimesters as compared to that of the controls but much lower in the first trimester. The result also showed that 84.6% of the pregnant women were iodine deficient among whom 2.7% have severe, 14.8% have moderate, and 67.1% have mild iodine deficiency and only 13.4% have optimal iodine status. 63.3% of the nonpregnant women were also iodine deficient (2.0% have severe, 22.5% have moderate, while 38.8% have mild) Conclusion: Result shows that iodine deficiency is still prevalent in northeastern Nigeria.

Keywords: Urinary iodine excretion, Iodine status, Pregnant women, Antenatal clinic, Maiduguri, Nigeria.