Endocrine Abstracts

In 2005, the evaluation of an international expert group* placed Bulgaria among those who successfully overcame the problem of ‘iodine deficiency’. The aim of the study is to assess the current iodine status in pregnant women in two main regions of Bulgaria - with a known iodine deficiency and other with sufficiency in the past.

Material: A cross-sectional multicenter population-based study was conducted in a total of 84 settlements from the two regions, at 537 pregnant women, mean age of 30.49 ± 5 years.

Methods: The UIC was determined by certified inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The accepted intervals for assessment of median UIC are: low 1 - 149, normal 150 - 249, over-optimal > 250 µg/l.

Results: The mUIC level for the whole pregnant group was 170 µg/l (11 - 497), (95% CI 161 - 177). The pregnant women only in three regions have a mUIC below the lower reference limit of the norm for pregnant women of 150 µg/l [Gotse Delchev - 144.5 (119 - 208), Gabrovo - 130.5 (108 - 168), Troyan - 113.5 (93 - 185)]. A comparison was made between these three regions and the other seven with normal mUIC levels. According to the questionnaire 271 (50.47%) of all pregnant women take combined vitamins with minerals (including iodine). Pregnant women who do not take any medications from Gabrovo-Troyan-Gotse Delchev are 23.1% v.s. 15.7% of pregnant women in the other seven regions (P<0.006).

Conclusion: During pregnancy it is important to substitute with combined vitamins and minerals to ensure sufficient intake of iodine for this period. *Van der Haar F. Review of Progress towards Sustained Optimal Iodine Nutrition in Bulgaria, MoH, USAID, UNICEF, 2005, P 32