How to prevent and treat iodine deficiency disorders
Release time : 04/20/2025 09:30:01
When the human body causes a series of obstacles to health due to iodine deficiency, this situation can be called "iodine deficiency disease".
Iodine deficiency disorders have regional characteristics. Of course, this does not mean that people in areas where iodine deficiency disorders are not high will not develop iodine deficiency disorders.
Small cases of iodine deficiency disorders are also common among infants and toddlers aged 1 to 3.
So how should infants and young children prevent iodine deficiency disorders? How to prevent and treat iodine deficiency disorders In the human living environment, if some elements are missing, it will cause iodine deficiency disorders.
During pregnancy, consuming iodine in excess can very easily lead to miscarriage or premature birth.
Pregnant women who lack iodine may give birth to babies with congenital malformations. The intelligence and physical development of these babies will also be affected.
Thus, in practice, the first step in preventing iodine deficiency in infants and young children is to start from the time of pregnancy.
During pregnancy, expectant mothers should ensure that their daily diet provides adequate iodine intake from food sources, which is an effective, safe, and cost-effective first step in preventing iodine deficiency disorders in future infants.
The iodine intake by the mother should not only maintain her own normal functioning but also supply a large amount to the fetus.
Mothers who breastfeed after giving birth also need to ensure adequate iodine intake as during pregnancy, so that infants and young children can get sufficient iodine from breast milk.
If it is a baby who eats formula milk powder, the added amount of iodine in the formula milk powder is enough for the baby's daily metabolism, especially before the addition of complementary food, because before this, the nutrition the baby received came from breast milk and formula milk powder.
We all know that salt is added to table salt nowadays, but babies are not supposed to eat salt before they turn one year old. However, don't worry, the iodine content in the food that your baby eats is enough for their body to use.
However, it should be noted that excessive iodine supplementation can also cause harm to the body. To prevent iodine deficiency disorders, iodine should be supplemented in an appropriate amount, rather than blindly consuming large amounts of iodine.
What is iodine deficiency disease? Infants may exhibit symptoms such as weak cry, hoarse voice, resistance to breastfeeding, and abdominal distension even when eating minimally. Some infants may show interest in feeding but appear lackluster and feeble during sucking.
The baby had symptoms of constipation shortly after birth, and there was some abnormality in the forehead area. When touched, the skin felt cold. The jaundice had not subsided for a long time. These symptoms suggest that the baby may be lacking iodine.
Under severe iodine deficiency, iodine deficiency disorders can occur.
What is iodine deficiency disease? Iodine deficiency disease is a condition caused by the body's lack of iodine, which leads to iodine malnutrition. This malnutrition then causes a series of diseases in humans. Iodine deficiency disease is the collective term for these diseases.
Infants and young children are at a high risk of intellectual disability if they are deficient in iodine. Therefore, a large-scale iodine deficiency epidemic would severely affect the quality of human population.
However, due to a series of measures taken by the state, the phenomenon of iodine deficiency is very rare now, but it should not be overlooked the importance of iodine supplementation for infants and young children.
Iodine deficiency is a manifestation of malnutrition and has a distinct regional characteristic. Generally speaking, the phenomenon of iodine deficiency disease in mountainous areas of inland regions is much more severe than that in coastal areas.
Iodine deficiency disorders are characterized by prominent symptoms in infants and adolescents, who are at a peak stage of growth and development.
When children are deficient in iodine, they may exhibit the following symptoms: 1. Infants and young children have very rapid growth and development, making them highly sensitive to iodine deficiency.
If a child's body lacks iodine, it can cause delayed brain neurological development and even damage, which may lead to intellectual disabilities. Compared to normal children, those lacking iodine have lower learning ability, and their growth and development appear abnormally slow.
2. Lack of iodine can also cause thyroid enlargement in children.
Generally healthy children are lively and energetic, but those with iodine deficiency appear significantly fatigued, and if the thyroid enlarges significantly, it can impair breathing.
3. Severe iodine deficiency can lead to cretinism in children, characterized primarily by deafness, mutism, dullness, and stupidity.
From the sixth month of pregnancy to two years after the baby is born, this is a critical period for the development of the cerebellum. If iodine deficiency occurs during this period, kwashiorkor may occur.
Under severe conditions, a child's intelligence may significantly decline, leading to inability to feed themselves or urinate and defecate independently. In extreme cases, they may even reach the level of being mentally retarded.
At the same time, the baby also exhibits language and motor impairments. There is no normal proportion in physical development, and the body tends to be shorter than average.
Iodine deficiency is a well-known cause of goiter. In the old days, goiters were rampant and this gave rise to the practice of adding iodine to salt.
However, most parents are unaware that iodine deficiency can not only cause babies to have enlarged necks but also lead to abnormal intellectual development and even result in deaf-mutes.
Therefore, the danger of iodine deficiency disease is very terrible. Parents should be vigilant about this issue in babies and take early action to supplement iodine.
Generally, mothers are very concerned about supplementing their children with calcium, iron, and zinc, but few mothers pay attention to supplementing their children with iodine.
Iodine is considered the element of intelligence for children, and it is an essential nutrient for their growth and development. There are three factors that can lead to iodine deficiency in babies, namely geography, diet, and maternal intake.
In areas where iodine deficiency is prevalent, due to the scarcity of iodine in soil, people living there generally suffer from iodine deficiency.
Therefore, if the baby is in an iodine deficiency area, parents should pay attention to supplementing iodine in their daily lives.
Additionally, infants tend to be picky eaters. During the early years of infancy, a lack of balanced diet can easily lead to iodine deficiency.
If a pregnant woman is deficient in iodine during pregnancy, the fetus will definitely be affected. Therefore, it is very important for pregnant women to supplement iodine in early pregnancy.
Infants who are breast-fed may experience iodine deficiency if the iodine content in their mother's milk is insufficient. This condition can lead to iodine deficiency disorders if it is severe.
Iodine Deficiency Disorders Dietary Adjustments Infant and toddler stages are critical for brain development, and iodine deficiency can lead to irreversible brain developmental issues in children. Once the problem is established, it often leaves many children with regrets for life.
Therefore, it is only through the early detection and treatment of iodine deficiency diseases that we can effectively prevent and mitigate the consequences.
For babies over one year and a half, there are two kinds of recipes that can help to supplement the iodine element.
I. Seaweed and Egg Porridge 1. Ingredients: prepare 2 grams of seaweed, 35 grams of rice, a little sesame, one egg.
2. Instructions: Soak the rice in cold water for one hour, tear up the seaweed and toast it until it is cooked, then grind the sesame seeds into a fine powder, beat the egg and mix them all together.
Add enough cold water to the pot and cook the rice for 30 minutes.
Put the kelp and sesame into separately, pour the beaten egg into the porridge before it is cooked, wait until the eggs are cooked, then you can take out.
Seaweed contains a lot of iodine and inorganic salts, which are good for babies to supplement iodine.
II. Seaweed Mushroom Soup Ingredients: Prepare 50 grams of white fungus, 5 grams of seaweed, and one egg.
2. Method: Clean the white button mushrooms, tear apart the seaweed (dried), and beat the eggs into a scrambled mixture.
Pour in an appropriate amount of cooking oil into the pot, stir-fry the white fungus briefly. Then add a broth to the pot and cook for 5 minutes. If no broth is available, boiled water can be used instead. Finally, add seaweed and eggs.
You can add some salt and sesame oil to season it.
White button mushrooms can enhance a baby's immunity, and have the effects of promoting bowel movements, relieving coughing, and thickening phlegm. Kelp can also help a baby to supplement iodine.
*The medical portions of this article are for reference only.
If you experience discomfort, it is recommended to seek medical attention immediately. The diagnosis and treatment should be based on the professional medical advice provided by a face-to-face consultation.