The status of iodine nutrition in newborn infants, schoolchildren, adolescents and adults in former East Germany.

: In the former East Germany (GDR) like in the former West Germany (FRG) iodine deficiency and endemic goiter have been described since more than 2 decades. After a program of salt iodization which was started in East Germany in 1985 the urinary iodine excretion of the population increased significantly. The thyroid gland of the newborn is much more sensible to changes of the iodine supply than the thyroid of older children. A total of 1732 subjects was enrolled in the study. After the implementation of the mandatory salt iodization the goiter prevalence in newborns decreased markedly to less than 1%. After the reunification of Germany in 1990 the mandatory prophylaxis was stopped and the urinary iodine excretion in newborns, school-children, adolescents and adults diminished markedly. So in newborns the renal iodine excretion decreased to 2.82 micrograms I/dl in 1992. Since 1994 a reasonable improvement of the iodine supply is observed in the region of Leipzig. In school-children, adolescents and adults the mean value of the urinary iodine excretion is now above 10.0 micrograms I/dl. This value may be considered as an indicator for a normal iodine supply. In a small cohort (n = 28) of newborns infants we found a renal iodine excretion of 18.74 micrograms/dl in 1997. That value also means a significant increase since 1992 and a normal iodine supply in the fetal period. The present results from the region of Leipzig/Saxonia are not representative for the whole of East Germany. To provide an optimal iodine nutrition the use of iodized salt for food manufacturing must be significantly increased.