‘Iodine deficiency causes infertility’

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 20

Iodine deficiency increases the chances of infertility and recurrent miscarriage by underproducing the required levels of thyroid hormones, said Dr Shipla Gulati, IVF expert at Indira IVF hospital, during an event on the eve of World Iodine Deficiency Day.

He stated that several recent studies had shown that mild iodine deficiency was becoming an emerging problem in many developing countries.

“Iodine is a vital micro-nutrient that is essential for the production of thyroid hormone and for the in-utero neuro development,” she said.

Iodine is found in very few food items, most of which is taken from iodized salt, dairy and few bread items. “Iodine deficient women have a low thyroid functioning which may directly be linked with a negative impact on their reproductive health. Hypothyroidism is one of the most common

causes of infertility and miscarriage in women than most of them realise,” she said.