Iodine is essential for our organism and especially for the thyroid gland, which is located slightly below our larynx. The thyroid gland needs iodine as a building block for a hormone it produces, the thyroid hormone.

This, in turn, is essential in the growth of the baby in the womb because it helps to develop the brain, build the bones and make the baby grow.


If the mother ingests too little iodine through her diet, the thyroid gland can develop hypothyroidism and the baby's supply is no longer guaranteed.

For the woman, this means that her thyroid gland enlarges as it tries to compensate for the deficiency by creating more surface area to absorb each iodine particle. This enlargement of the thyroid gland leads to a goitre and the consequences of iodine deficiency are accompanied by a loss of general well-being for the mother.

This means that the baby is at great risk, as an underactive maternal thyroid favours miscarriages and malformations.

The mother cannot pass the thyroid hormone on to the baby via the placenta; the baby's thyroid gland must produce it itself, which is why she must ensure that the baby receives a sufficient supply of iodine via her blood during pregnancy.

If the supply is inadequate, the baby will also develop hypothyroidism, which will have a negative impact on its growth, but especially on its mental development and intelligence.

A woman's normal requirement of 150-200 μg increases during pregnancy to a value of 230-260 μg, which means that iodine supplements are often required, but always in consultation with the doctor.

Iodine occurs naturally in sea fish and milk and only iodised table salt should be used in the kitchen.

The iodine intake of mother and baby must also be ensured at the specified level during breastfeeding, as the baby can only continue to obtain iodine from the mother. In the case of non-breastfed babies, this is already taken into account in the baby food.