Prevention of thyroid diseases in children
The event dedicated to the prevention of thyroid diseases is held in Tatarstan in the first ten days of September. Almira Aminova, an endocrinologist at the Сhildren's Сity Рospital with the Perinatal Center in Nizhnekamsk, told why these diseases occur in children and how to prevent this issue.
"The basis of iodine deficiency conditions today is iodine deficiency. We live in an iodine-deficient zone, and group prevention, unfortunately, is not established. It implies the consumption of iodized salt. Statistics show that worldwide only 30% of families buy iodized salt to make up for iodine deficiency. In Soviet times, a constant intake of iodine-containing drugs was organized in kindergartens and schools. Now the responsibility for preventing iodine deficiency conditions has fallen on parents' shoulders, who must accept this as a rule and give their child additional iodine every day. Of course, before doing this, you need to consult with your pediatrician, who will tell you the necessary dose of the drug for your child.
There are no specific signs of iodine deficiency. They hide under other complaints, such as: neurological, cardiological, somatic, when a child may lag in physical development (weight-growth factors may not correspond to age), it can be frequent colds, the formation of chronic diseases.
First of all, iodine supplementation should be taken by pregnant, nursing, children, and adolescents. For others, it is enough to eat iodized salt instead of regular salt. It is critical to provide a baby with iodine immediately after birth, since the baby's brain and cognitive functions develop most intensively before the age of three. Iodine deficiency affects not only the child's brain but also hearing, speech, and visual memory. Lack of iodine can affect the activity of vital organs, lead to a delay in physical development. According to experts from the World Health Organization, iodine deficiency is the most common cause of mental retardation that can be prevented. The use of medications containing a strictly fixed dose of potassium iodide during breastfeeding also makes it possible to effectively meet the needs of a mother and child's body for iodine.
Include in your daily diet foods that are rich in varying degrees of iodine-sea cabbage, sea fish, other seafood, meat, dairy products, and walnuts. Be healthy!»