Pregnant women or currently breastfeeding should include iodine in their diet for ensuring normal development of the brain of their babies. Iodine helps in production of hormones that are important for brain development in children. According to the American Thyroid Association, despite the fact that iodine is present in most table salts, many people still suffer from deficiency of iodine.
"Women who are childbearing age need to pay attention to this topic as well, because about half of the pregnancies in the U. S. are unplanned. Women in the early part of the pregnancy may not realize they’re pregnant", said Dr. Jerome Paulson, chairperson of the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Environmental Health.