Baby iodine supplementation
Release time : 04/20/2025 09:30:01
The salt we use for cooking is iodized salt, and China accounts for 40% of the global iodine deficiency. Therefore, eliminating symptoms of iodine deficiency is a priority in our country.
Iodine's benefits extend beyond the prevention of endemic goiter; it is equally indispensable for a baby's growth and development. Therefore, to ensure the health of our babies, mothers should also ensure their iodine intake is adequate.
How to supplement iodine for babies is the simplest and most convenient method, which is to add iodine to salt.
This method is not only safe, effective, economical and easy to promote, but also meets the requirements of trace, long-term and life-oriented.
However, we should also pay attention to science when it comes to non-iodine. Iodine is a very active element. If we add salt too early during the cooking process, it will easily allow the iodine to vaporize and "slip away" due to the too high temperature.
In storage, iodine in salt also leaches out over time. The longer the time, the less iodine is left in the salt.
Therefore, when using iodized salt, attention should be paid to the properties of iodine to utilize its maximum efficacy.
Iodine can prevent the occurrence of goiter well, but it's also important to pay attention to the amount of iodine. The standard in China is that 6g salt per day provides about 120 micrograms of iodine, which can completely meet the physiological needs of most adults.
Babies' initial stages are primarily fed on liquid foods, and they cannot supplement iodine through their daily diets like adults. How can iodine be provided to babies? In the early stages, baby food is derived from mother's breast milk. Data indicates that babies who are breastfed have twice the level of iodine in their urine compared to those fed through other means. Therefore, breastfeeding is an excellent way to provide iodine to babies.
Foods with high iodine content are seafood, such as kelp and seaweed. Therefore, it is advisable to include kelp and other seafood in the diet of babies once or twice a week by boiling them into soup.
When selecting infant formula for babies, it is possible to choose products that contain iodine, to supplement the baby's iodine intake.
The necessity of supplementing iodine for babies: Iodine can promote growth and development, and maintain the normal structure of central nervous system.
The stage of a baby from six months to two years after birth is the critical period for the development of the baby's brain.
If iodine deficiency is present at this time, it can lead to cretinism in infants and children, characterized by intellectual disability. The mild cases are able to take care of themselves, but they cannot perform complex labor tasks or adapt to social life. They have hearing, speech, and motor disabilities. In severe cases, they are unable to take care of their own urination and defecation, and the incidence of deafness and mutism is high, even leading to developmental anomalies.
Understanding the hazards of iodine, we realize its importance for babies. To prevent illness in babies, it is essential to take precautions early on. Seaweed and kelp are rich in iodine, making them a good choice for baby foods. So, it is advisable to consume seaweed or kelp soup regularly.
When selecting infant formula, aside from comparing protein, fat, and other trace elements, it is also important to ensure that the formula contains iodine.
There is also data that shows that infants fed on breast milk have higher iodine content in their urine than those fed other foods.
Infants are young and lack the ability to chew, so there are also limited options for iodine supplementation. Therefore, mothers must also ensure they and their babies receive sufficient iodine during breastfeeding to prevent potential harm from iodine deficiency in both mothers and infants.
What situations do babies need iodine? Generally, if babies exhibit symptoms of iodine deficiency, they should be supplemented with iodine. Iodine deficiency can have significant harm to babies, so as a mother, it is crucial to pay special attention to the baby's physical condition, daily routine, and movements for any abnormalities.
Particularly in areas with endemic goitre, special attention should be given to newborns.
Once symptoms of iodine deficiency are identified in a baby, it is crucial to seek medical attention as soon as possible and promptly provide the baby with iodine supplementation.
When babies are deficient in iodine, their crying may be weak and their voices rough. They may also have abdominal distension and a reluctance to feed or a lack of interest in feeding, often accompanied by constipation. Additionally, their foreheads may appear larger than those of other babies.
At this time, pay attention to whether your baby has the possibility of hypothyroidism, and go to the hospital for examination and diagnosis as soon as possible.
Another sign of iodine deficiency in babies is that they often appear very quiet and rarely move or even seem to be motionless for hours. They usually remain still when placed anywhere by their parents, sometimes for several hours without moving.
Sometimes when the adults do not feed or eat him in time, he will not be upset and irritable.
Some parents might think that their baby is very manageable and doesn't cause any trouble, so they don't pay enough attention to it.
Therefore, if the above symptoms occur in the future, do not be negligent. It is imperative to promptly take your baby for a detailed examination to confirm if they are deficient in iodine. This will prevent any delay in treatment and ensure that it does not affect the baby's life.
The best way to get iodine for infants is through their diet. The baby's brain development is the best during from the fetus stage to 2 years old, this period of time baby needs at least 40-70 micrograms of iodine every day, to ensure normal brain development.
However, at this stage, infants cannot supplement iodine through their daily diet, as the iodine content is far from sufficient to meet the requirements for growth and development. Simply relying on formula milk alone cannot fulfill the physical and cognitive growth needs of infants.
The best way for babies to get iodine is through breastfeeding, which ensures they receive sufficient iodine from their mothers to meet their physiological needs.
Therefore, breastfeeding mothers can eat more seafood because the iodine content in seafood is higher than that in other foods. The mother can supplement enough iodine and then pass it to the baby through breast milk, which can increase the iodine concentration of the baby.
Certainly, iodine can also be supplemented through formula foods.
Supplementing iodine to infants through formula is a safe and effective method.
For example, nutritious rice noodles for children and high-grade infant milk powder can allow babies to get enough iodine while filling their stomachs.
However, it should be noted that the more iodine the human body consumes is not the better. When the iodine the body consumes exceeds the normal physiological requirement for a long time, it can also cause goiter.
Therefore, it is good for the baby to supplement enough iodine. If you don't, you will get sick, but if you don't, you won't get sick.
The harm of iodine deficiency in babies Iodine is closely related to human health. It is one of the essential trace elements for the human body and is needed by the human body at all times.
It mainly exists in the thyroid gland and is a component of human thyroxine and plays an important role in regulating physiological functions of the human body.
Iodine deficiency in pregnant women will have adverse effects on the physical and intellectual development of the fetus.
All nutritional sources before the fetus is born are the mother. During growth, it not only relies on thyroxine provided by the expectant mother, but after 10 weeks of pregnancy, the fetus's own thyroid also has the ability to use iodine to synthesize thyroxine to meet its own growth needs.
If the expectant mother has serious iodine deficiency at this time, the fetus will not be able to obtain enough iodine, thyroid function will decline, growth will stagnate or abnormal, increasing the incidence of miscarriages, fetal malformation, and stillbirth.
Since everything in the mother's body is limited by the mother, if the mother lacks iodine, the condition of the fetus will be more serious, and growth, development and intelligence level will be directly affected.
If the mother is iodine deficient, the baby's length, weight, and head circumference after birth will be lower than normal babies, and the impact on the baby girl will be more serious.
Iodine deficiency may also cause babies to develop cretinism. When expectant mothers 'iodine intake before and during pregnancy is less than 25ug/d, the chance of babies being born with cretinism will also increase. If cretinism is severe, it will also affect the baby's ability to take care of herself.
The medical information provided in this text is for reference only.
If you feel unwell, it is recommended to seek medical attention immediately, and the medical diagnosis and treatment will be subject to offline diagnosis.