Efficacy of daily and weekly multiple micronutrient food-like tablets for the correction of iodine deficiency in Indonesian males aged 6-12 mo.

BACKGROUND

Infants are highly vulnerable to iodine deficiency, and little data exist on the effect of multiple micronutrient supplementation on their iodine status.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to compare the efficacy of daily and weekly multiple micronutrient food-like tablets (foodLETs) on increasing iodine status among infants.

DESIGN

In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 133 Indonesian males aged 6-12 mo were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 groups: a daily multiple-micronutrient foodLET providing the Recommended Nutrient Intake (RNI)(DMM), a weekly multiple-micronutrient foodLET providing twice the RNI (WMM), a daily 10-mg Fe foodLET (DI), or placebo. Urinary iodine (UI) concentrations were measured at baseline and at 23 wk.

RESULTS

At baseline, the average UI concentration (1.37 micromol/L) was within the normal range, and 30.8% of subjects had iodine deficiency (UI < 0.79 micromol/L). At 23 wk, the DMM group had the highest increment in UI; however, after adjustment for initial UI, the changes in UI were not significantly different between the 4 groups (P = 0.39). Initial UI correlated inversely with the changes in UI (P < 0.001). The DMM group had the greatest reduction and increment in the proportion of iodine-deficient infants and in infants with iodine excess, respectively; however, no significant difference was found in these proportions (P = 0.13 and P = 0.42) between the 4 groups.

CONCLUSION

Daily consumption of a multiple-micronutrient foodLET providing the RNI during infancy may be one strategy to improve iodine status.