Iodine status of reproductive age women and their toddlers in northern Ghana improved through household supply of iodized salt and weekly indigenous meal consumption.

ABSTRACT: Iodine deficiency (ID) during pregnancy results in pregnancy losses, intrauterine growth retardation, and lower IQ in the offspring. Even after two decades of universal salt iodization (USI) implementation, the efficacy of USI has not been reported in high risk groups in vulnerable regions in Ghana. We aimed to assess and improve ID status in childbearing age women (all lactating women) and their toddlers in northern Ghana, a geographically and socioeconomically vulnerable region. We provided weekly supply of household iodized salt and community-based feeding of native Hibiscus Sabdariffaa leaves meal (HSM) prepared with iodized salt to women and their toddlers in intervention (n = 60) vs. control group (n = 60). At baseline, ID was prevalent in women (36%) and their toddlers (29%). For wo

SUBMITTER: Kubuga CK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6544231 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature