If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, getting enough iodine is essential to keep your baby’s thyroid functioning properly and help his brain develop as it should. The most common way to keep your iodine levels up to expert recommendations is to take prenatal vitamins with 150 micrograms daily.
But the New England Journal of Medicine in February reported that only about half of prenatal vitamins in the U.S. contain any iodine at all. Researchers from Boston University Medical Center who produced the report contend that even mild iodine deficiency in mothers could impact children, and recommend prenatal vitamins containing potassium iodine as the most reliable source. Some formulations contain as a source of iodine, but researchers found levels in those formulations to be inconsistent.