Iodine deficiency during the first trimester of pregnancy can result in which of the following most severe consequences for the newborn?

• A Neonatal goitre only
• B Neonatal hypothyroidism that is fully reversible with early thyroxine treatment
• C Deaf-mutism without intellectual impairment
• D Cretinism (neurological type) with irreversible mental retardation ✓

Explanation

Severe iodine deficiency in the first trimester — when fetal thyroid is not yet functional and the fetus depends entirely on maternal thyroxine — causes neurological cretinism, characterised by severe, irreversible intellectual disability, deaf-mutism, squint, and spastic diplegia. This damage occurs during the critical period of brain development and cannot be reversed by postnatal iodine supplementation, unlike myxoedematous cretinism which results from late-pregnancy/postnatal deficiency.

Reference: Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, 27th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

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