Dietary supplement manufacturers should include a daily serving of at least 150 mcg of iodine in all multivitamin/mineral supplements intended for pregnant and lactating women in the U.S., the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) advises in guidelines for industry released today. CRN, the leading trade association for the dietary supplement and functional food industry, developed these guidelines in response to recommendations from authoritative medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Endocrine Society, and the American Thyroid Association, that pregnant and lactating women receive a daily multivitamin/mineral supplement that contains 150 mcg of iodine.

"Scientific evidence shows that, similar to folic acid, adequate iodine is critical early in pregnancy when the fetal brain is growing rapidly," said Duffy MacKay, N.D., senior vice-president, scientific and regulatory affairs, CRN. "Currently, many U.S. women of childbearing age get insufficient dietary iodine, putting their children at risk for decreased cognitive function. CRN's guidelines call on manufacturers of multivitamin/mineral supplements for pregnant and lactating women in the U.S. to provide the scientifically-backed amount of iodine that this population needs."

CRN's recommended guidelines, "Iodine Quantity in Multivitamin/ Mineral Supplements for Pregnancy and Lactation," are available on the association's website. CRN recommends that dietary supplement companies comply within twelve months.

"We commend the Council for Responsible Nutrition for stressing the importance of iodine for pregnant and lactating women in order to ensure normal brain development of the fetus and baby," said Robert C. Smallridge, M.D., president, American Thyroid Association. "Our association strongly concurs that pregnant and lactating women should get 150 mcg of iodine daily from their multivitamin/mineral supplement."