Iodine is an essential micronutrient important for foetal nerve and brain development, especially in the early stages of pregnancy. The re-emergence of mild to moderate iodine deficiency has recently been reported in the United Kingdom (UK). The level of knowledge amongst pregnant women regarding iodine nutrition is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to determine the level of knowledge about iodine nutrition during pregnancy among pregnant women living in Northern Ireland (NI). A cross-sectional study in pregnant women was carried out in Royal Jubilee Maternity Hospital Belfast, from March to June 2015. Two hundred pregnant women were provided with a short questionnaire on iodine knowledge during routine clinic visits and comparisons were made across trimester and parity. Only 20% of women were aware of the potentially increased iodine requirements during pregnancy and breast feeding; 45% were unable to identify any foods they thought would be iodine rich. The three main sources of dietary iodine in the UK are fish, dairy and eggs and 30, 9 and 15% correctly identified these as good sources respectively. When asked about whether they felt they had been given sufficient advice about folic acid and iodine in pregnancy, 90% felt this was so for folic acid, but only 5% for iodine. This study suggests that iodine knowledge among pregnant women living in NI is poor. In the absence of any iodine fortification programme, women in the UK may be vulnerable to iodine deficiency in pregnancy. At present they are poorly equipped to make positive dietary changes to meet their increasing iodine requirements during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Public health strategies should be considered to target this population group.

中文翻译：

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北爱尔兰孕妇在怀孕和哺乳期间的碘需求知识

碘是一种必需的微量营养素，对胎儿神经和大脑发育很重要，尤其是在妊娠早期。最近在英国 (UK) 报告了轻度至中度碘缺乏症的再次出现。孕妇对碘营养的知识水平知之甚少。本研究的目的是确定生活在北爱尔兰 (NI) 的孕妇在怀孕期间对碘营养的知识水平。2015 年 3 月至 2015 年 6 月，在贝尔法斯特皇家禧妇产医院对孕妇进行了一项横断面研究。在常规门诊就诊期间，向 200 名孕妇提供了一份关于碘知识的简短问卷，并在孕期和产次之间进行了比较。只有 20% 的女性意识到怀孕和哺乳期间碘需求量可能会增加；45% 的人无法识别任何他们认为富含碘的食物。在英国，膳食碘的三个主要来源是鱼、奶制品和鸡蛋，分别有 30%、9% 和 15% 的人正确地将它们确定为良好来源。当被问及他们是否觉得他们在怀孕期间得到了足够的叶酸和碘建议时，90% 的人认为叶酸是这样，而碘只有 5%。这项研究表明，生活在 NI 的孕妇的碘知识很差。在没有任何碘强化计划的情况下，英国的女性在怀孕期间可能容易缺碘。目前，她们没有能力做出积极的饮食改变，以满足她们在怀孕和哺乳期间不断增加的碘需求。应考虑针对这一人群制定公共卫生战略。