Abstract

Iodine is an essential component of thyroid hormones; required for normal cognitive function and metabolism
throughout life. During pregnancy, maternal iodine and thyroid hormones are required for fetal neurogenesis,
including axon and dendrite growth, synapse formation, myelination and neuronal migration. This paper measured
the extent to which women and health practitioners were knowledgeable about the importance of iodine. Findings
indicate that midwives’ knowledge of iodine and its role in healthy pregnancies is poor according to the limited
studies. This is further reflected by poor knowledge in women of childbearing age, even in those who have received
dietary advice as part of routine antenatal care. Globally, there was poor knowledge of iodine among health
practitioners; however the effects of this may be mitigated by the implementation of fortification and
supplementation.