disorders of nutrition
Iodine Deficiency
Symptoms of Iodine Deficiency
When iodine is deficient, the thyroid gland enlarges, forming a Simple Nontoxic Goiter , as it attempts to capture more iodine for the production of thyroid hormones. The thyroid gland becomes underactive and produces too little thyroid hormones ( If pregnant women have iodine deficiency, the risk of miscarriage and stillbirth is increased. The fetus may grow slowly, and the brain may develop abnormally. Unless affected babies are treated soon after birth, a disorder that causes intellectual disability and short stature develops. Babies with cretinism may be deaf and mute. They may have birth defects and/or hypothyroidism. Lack of iodine during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, and intellectual disability and birth defects in the baby. 