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Children with multiple food allergies on strict elimination diets suffer from significantly lower urinary iodine levels compared to healthy peers, signaling a hidden risk of mild iodine deficiency.
Restricting multiple foods could have nutritional consequences beyond the foods being avoided. A prospective study in children with multiple food allergies (MFA) found significantly lower urinary iodine concentrations in those following elimination diets, although thyroid function remained unaffected.
This cross-sectional study included 47 children aged 0–13 years with IgE-mediated MFA and 52 age- and sex-matched healthy children. Conducted between October 2022 and March 2024, the researchers evaluated urinary iodine concentration (UIC) alongside thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (fT4), and free triiodothyronine (fT3).
Iodine status emerged as the main difference between the groups. Median UIC was 86 μg/L in children with MFA versus 126 μg/L in healthy controls. The lower iodine levels did not translate into measurable thyroid dysfunction. TSH, fT3, and fT4 were similar between groups, and no child with MFA had overt hypothyroidism.
The findings point to a potential nutritional consideration in pediatric food allergy management: iodine status can be reduced even when thyroid function appears normal. For children avoiding several food groups, dietary evaluation may be particularly relevant when assessing whether essential micronutrient intake is being maintained.
The study adds to the growing focus on the nutritional impact of restrictive elimination diets and suggests that monitoring must extend beyond allergy control to include key micronutrient considerations.
Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism
Iodine status and thyroid function in children with multiple food allergy: a prospective cross-sectional study
Suat Tekin et al.
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