Complementary Interventions for Preventing and Controlling Iodine Deficiencies in Pregnant Women, Infants, and Young Children.

Objectives: Inadequate dietary iodine is the main cause of preventable brain damage, posing a serious threat to intellectual development and productivity throughout the world. Salt iodization is the primary strategy for preventing and eliminating iodine deficiencies, and 76% of households worldwide have access to adequately iodized salt. In several settings, new interventions provide iodine containing products for vulnerable groups - pregnant and lactating women, infants (0-5 months), and young children (6-23 months). However, the extent to which these ‘complementary interventions' meet the iodine requirements of these groups has not been investigated. We therefore examined these interventions to understand whether they meet vulnerable groups' needs. We also estimated the number of recipients reached. Methods: We reviewed literature, household surveys, and guidelines to assess whether salt iodization can meet vulnerable groups' iodine requirements. Then, complementary interventions used in public health contexts were mapped, their iodine contribution estimated, and the number of recipients reached calculated. Results: Our analysis suggests that salt iodization may meet the requirements of pregnant and lactating women, but possibly not all infants and young children. There is great variability in objectives, delivery methods, and iodine contribution of complementary interventions. The coverage of various complementary interventions ranges from 0 to 13% of the vulnerable population groups. Conclusions: There is a need for careful coordination to ensure appropriate amounts of iodine are delivered to recipients. Failing to do so can result in the delivery of too little or too much iodine, which can have negative health consequences.

Urban helminthiasis in two socioeconomically distinct Costa Rican communities

Se investigó la prevalencia de Ascaris lumbricoides. Trichiuris trichiura e Hymenolepis nana em dos comunidades adyacentes pero con nivel socioeconómico diferente, San José, Costa Rica. Se trató de un caserío precario con mala infraestructura sanitaroa y un barrio con buenas condiciones higiénicas. El primero mostró una mayor prevalencia de las helmintiasis investigadas. El grupo etario de menores de 14 años del precario, fue más afectado por A. lumbricoides e H. nana que los adultos, patrón no observado con T. trichiura. Estos resultados indican la necesidad de incluir las condiciones socioeconómicas como parámetro de análisis, cuando se estudia la prevalencia de helmintiasis intestinales en comunidades urbanas, a fin de obtener un perfil de las parasitosis más realista