Endocrine Morbidity Among Women Exposed to Radioactive Iodine During Pregnancy

Abstract

In this publication, the long-term pathology associated with thyroid function in women who were pregnant in April 1986 and were exposed to radiation due to the incorporation of radioactive iodine as a result of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident is analyzed. The comparison group consisted of women residing in the same region of Belarus but their pregnancies occurred after the decay of the radioactive iodine isotope. The age of the women in both groups at the time of pregnancy was 22-24 years, and gestational age was 21-23 weeks. The average absorbed dose due to the incorporation of radioactive iodine was 60-80 mGy. The incidence of endocrine system disorders in women was primarily represented by thyroid diseases, nutritional disorders, and metabolic disturbances (obesity). The cumulative incidence in the main group did not significantly differ from that in the comparison group. Based on the presented data, it is concluded that the identified pathology is of non-radiation origin and can be associated with an excess of stable iodine due to its intake from food and the use of iodine-containing medications during pregnancy.