Iodine in pregnancy 'vital for the baby's future brain power' - not fluoride.

Iodine in pregnancy 'vital for the baby's future brain power' 

• Children born to women deficient of the mineral were 60 per cent more likely to have low IQ scores
• The substance is mainly found in fish and dairy products and has an affect of foetal development 

By JENNY HOPE

PUBLISHED: 03:04, 22 May 2013 | UPDATED: 03:05, 22 May 2013

A lack of iodine during pregnancy could harm a child’s future exam prospects, a study has found.

Children born to women who are deficient in the mineral were 60 per cent more likely to have low IQ scores and poor reading ability by the ages of eight and nine, researchers claim.

The results could affect grades achieved at GCSE and A level because children are not reaching ‘their full potential’, they said.

A lack of iodine during pregnancy could harm a child¿s future exam prospects, a study has found.

The study is the first to look at pregnant women who were mild or moderately deficient in iodine, which is essential to the development of an unborn baby’s brain. 

The substance – found in fish and dairy products – helps produce the hormones made by the thyroid gland, which have a direct effect on foetal development.....