Neonatal iodine deficiency: clinical aspects.

Iodine is a trace element which is essential for the synthesis of thyroid hormones. The thyroid hormones, thyroxine (T4) and 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (T3), are necessary for adequate growth and development throughout fetal and extrauterine life. The iodine intake of newborns is entirely dependent on the iodine content of breast milk and the formula preparations used to feed them. An inadequate iodine supply might be especially dangerous in the case of premature babies. The minimum recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for different age groups has recently been revised. The iodine intake required is at least 15 microg/kg/day in full-term infants and 30 microg/kg/day in preterms. The iodine content of many evaluated preparations for feeding premature infants appears to be inadequate. Premature infants are now in a situation of iodine deficiency, precisely at a stage of psychomotor and neural development which is extremely sensitive to alterations of thyroid function.