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.