Iodine supplementation for pregnancy in Portugal: identification of nutritional composition of iodine containing supplements and characterization of pharmacy dispenses from 2008-2022
BackgroundIodine is essential for the proper development of the central nervous system. In Portugal, despite of self-reports of iodine supplements intake by pregnant women, iodine deficiency still prevails. This study intended to characterize the pharmacy sales of iodine-containing supplements and t...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-05-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Endocrinology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2025.1582610/full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850261069395656704 |
|---|---|
| author | Sarai Isabel Machado Susana Roque Maria Lopes-Pereira Maria Lopes-Pereira Maria José Costeira Maria José Costeira Patrício Costa Nuno Borges Ruben Pereira Zilda Mendes António Teixeira Rodrigues António Teixeira Rodrigues Joana Almeida Palha |
| author_facet | Sarai Isabel Machado Susana Roque Maria Lopes-Pereira Maria Lopes-Pereira Maria José Costeira Maria José Costeira Patrício Costa Nuno Borges Ruben Pereira Zilda Mendes António Teixeira Rodrigues António Teixeira Rodrigues Joana Almeida Palha |
| author_sort | Sarai Isabel Machado |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundIodine is essential for the proper development of the central nervous system. In Portugal, despite of self-reports of iodine supplements intake by pregnant women, iodine deficiency still prevails. This study intended to characterize the pharmacy sales of iodine-containing supplements and their use by women in Portugal.MethodsData from all available supplements with indication for use in the prenatal time, for the period 2008-2022, was obtained from the Portuguese Association of Pharmacies. To infer from the use of iodine supplements by women during preconception, pregnancy and lactation, pharmacy dispenses, between 2019 and 2021, were collected from a sample of female consumers, identified with at least one prescription of iodine-containing supplements.ResultsEighty-eight per cent of the iodine-containing supplements state the recommended iodine concentration. The annual sales increased continuously, reaching an estimated of 109 µg per day in 2022. Estimated mean duration of supplementation to women prescribed with iodine-containing supplements for preconception/pregnancy/lactation was of 4.5 months (SD = 3.8) and less than 1% of women was covered for the advisable period of 18 months.ConclusionThe estimated duration of iodine supplementation to women during preconception, pregnancy and lactation is below recommendations. Additional public health measures, such as universal salt iodization and literacy campaigns are needed to ensure iodine sufficiency to women and their developing fetus. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-616eac14ba244f9e99e22a7d76a3c3c8 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1664-2392 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Endocrinology |
| spelling | doaj-art-616eac14ba244f9e99e22a7d76a3c3c82025-08-20T01:55:31ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Endocrinology1664-23922025-05-011610.3389/fendo.2025.15826101582610Iodine supplementation for pregnancy in Portugal: identification of nutritional composition of iodine containing supplements and characterization of pharmacy dispenses from 2008-2022Sarai Isabel Machado0Susana Roque1Maria Lopes-Pereira2Maria Lopes-Pereira3Maria José Costeira4Maria José Costeira5Patrício Costa6Nuno Borges7Ruben Pereira8Zilda Mendes9António Teixeira Rodrigues10António Teixeira Rodrigues11Joana Almeida Palha12Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, PortugalLife and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, PortugalLife and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, PortugalHospital de Braga, Braga, PortugalLife and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, PortugalHospital da Senhora da Oliveira Guimarães, Guimarães, PortugalLife and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, PortugalFaculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, PortugalCentre for Health Evaluation & Research of the National Association of Pharmacies (CEFAR-ANF), Lisboa, PortugalCentre for Health Evaluation & Research of the National Association of Pharmacies (CEFAR-ANF), Lisboa, PortugalLife and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, PortugalCentre for Health Evaluation & Research of the National Association of Pharmacies (CEFAR-ANF), Lisboa, PortugalLife and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, PortugalBackgroundIodine is essential for the proper development of the central nervous system. In Portugal, despite of self-reports of iodine supplements intake by pregnant women, iodine deficiency still prevails. This study intended to characterize the pharmacy sales of iodine-containing supplements and their use by women in Portugal.MethodsData from all available supplements with indication for use in the prenatal time, for the period 2008-2022, was obtained from the Portuguese Association of Pharmacies. To infer from the use of iodine supplements by women during preconception, pregnancy and lactation, pharmacy dispenses, between 2019 and 2021, were collected from a sample of female consumers, identified with at least one prescription of iodine-containing supplements.ResultsEighty-eight per cent of the iodine-containing supplements state the recommended iodine concentration. The annual sales increased continuously, reaching an estimated of 109 µg per day in 2022. Estimated mean duration of supplementation to women prescribed with iodine-containing supplements for preconception/pregnancy/lactation was of 4.5 months (SD = 3.8) and less than 1% of women was covered for the advisable period of 18 months.ConclusionThe estimated duration of iodine supplementation to women during preconception, pregnancy and lactation is below recommendations. Additional public health measures, such as universal salt iodization and literacy campaigns are needed to ensure iodine sufficiency to women and their developing fetus.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2025.1582610/fullpregnancypublic healthiodineiodine deficiencysupplementation |
| spellingShingle | Sarai Isabel Machado Susana Roque Maria Lopes-Pereira Maria Lopes-Pereira Maria José Costeira Maria José Costeira Patrício Costa Nuno Borges Ruben Pereira Zilda Mendes António Teixeira Rodrigues António Teixeira Rodrigues Joana Almeida Palha Iodine supplementation for pregnancy in Portugal: identification of nutritional composition of iodine containing supplements and characterization of pharmacy dispenses from 2008-2022 Frontiers in Endocrinology pregnancy public health iodine iodine deficiency supplementation |
| title | Iodine supplementation for pregnancy in Portugal: identification of nutritional composition of iodine containing supplements and characterization of pharmacy dispenses from 2008-2022 |
| title_full | Iodine supplementation for pregnancy in Portugal: identification of nutritional composition of iodine containing supplements and characterization of pharmacy dispenses from 2008-2022 |
| title_fullStr | Iodine supplementation for pregnancy in Portugal: identification of nutritional composition of iodine containing supplements and characterization of pharmacy dispenses from 2008-2022 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Iodine supplementation for pregnancy in Portugal: identification of nutritional composition of iodine containing supplements and characterization of pharmacy dispenses from 2008-2022 |
| title_short | Iodine supplementation for pregnancy in Portugal: identification of nutritional composition of iodine containing supplements and characterization of pharmacy dispenses from 2008-2022 |
| title_sort | iodine supplementation for pregnancy in portugal identification of nutritional composition of iodine containing supplements and characterization of pharmacy dispenses from 2008 2022 |
| topic | pregnancy public health iodine iodine deficiency supplementation |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2025.1582610/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT saraiisabelmachado iodinesupplementationforpregnancyinportugalidentificationofnutritionalcompositionofiodinecontainingsupplementsandcharacterizationofpharmacydispensesfrom20082022 AT susanaroque iodinesupplementationforpregnancyinportugalidentificationofnutritionalcompositionofiodinecontainingsupplementsandcharacterizationofpharmacydispensesfrom20082022 AT marialopespereira iodinesupplementationforpregnancyinportugalidentificationofnutritionalcompositionofiodinecontainingsupplementsandcharacterizationofpharmacydispensesfrom20082022 AT marialopespereira iodinesupplementationforpregnancyinportugalidentificationofnutritionalcompositionofiodinecontainingsupplementsandcharacterizationofpharmacydispensesfrom20082022 AT mariajosecosteira iodinesupplementationforpregnancyinportugalidentificationofnutritionalcompositionofiodinecontainingsupplementsandcharacterizationofpharmacydispensesfrom20082022 AT mariajosecosteira iodinesupplementationforpregnancyinportugalidentificationofnutritionalcompositionofiodinecontainingsupplementsandcharacterizationofpharmacydispensesfrom20082022 AT patriciocosta iodinesupplementationforpregnancyinportugalidentificationofnutritionalcompositionofiodinecontainingsupplementsandcharacterizationofpharmacydispensesfrom20082022 AT nunoborges iodinesupplementationforpregnancyinportugalidentificationofnutritionalcompositionofiodinecontainingsupplementsandcharacterizationofpharmacydispensesfrom20082022 AT rubenpereira iodinesupplementationforpregnancyinportugalidentificationofnutritionalcompositionofiodinecontainingsupplementsandcharacterizationofpharmacydispensesfrom20082022 AT zildamendes iodinesupplementationforpregnancyinportugalidentificationofnutritionalcompositionofiodinecontainingsupplementsandcharacterizationofpharmacydispensesfrom20082022 AT antonioteixeirarodrigues iodinesupplementationforpregnancyinportugalidentificationofnutritionalcompositionofiodinecontainingsupplementsandcharacterizationofpharmacydispensesfrom20082022 AT antonioteixeirarodrigues iodinesupplementationforpregnancyinportugalidentificationofnutritionalcompositionofiodinecontainingsupplementsandcharacterizationofpharmacydispensesfrom20082022 AT joanaalmeidapalha iodinesupplementationforpregnancyinportugalidentificationofnutritionalcompositionofiodinecontainingsupplementsandcharacterizationofpharmacydispensesfrom20082022 |