Iodine deficiency disorders and effects of iodized salt [Iyot yetersizligine bagli hastaliklar ve iyotlu tuz kullaniminin etkileri]

At least 2.2 billion people and more than 50 million children are affected from iodine deficiency and 100,000 babies are born cretin each year due to iodine deficiency. Cretinism is the leading reason of preventable mental retardation. The most common clinical finding of iodine deficiency is endemic goiter. Mean intelligence coefficient of the children living in endemic areas is detected to be 13.5 points lower than normal values for that age. Fetuses and newborns are more sensitive to environmental iodine deficiency than adults, and in case of deficiency, the incidence of congenital abnormalities, spontaneous abortions and stillbirths increase. Use of iodinated salt seems to be the most economical choice to prevent environmental iodine deficiency. In our country which is an important endemic goiter district, obligatory production of iodinated salt was legalized in 1999. Success of this application depends on active, disciplinized and continuous collaboration of health, education, and media sectors and salt producers