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Article History

Received: 26 July 2023

Accepted: 24 October 2023

First Online: 15 November 2023

Declarations

:

: Template data collection forms, data extracted from included studies, data used for all analyses, and analytic code will be available upon reasonable request.

: The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

: The authors declare no competing interests.

: None of the authors has any personal or financial conflicts of interest.

: It is well-recognized that both iodine deficiency and excess are risk factors for thyroid dysfunction in vulnerable populations. To date, most studies have focused on pregnant women; however, little is known about the possible association of iodine status with different postpartum thyroid parameters and existing studies have shown inconsistent findings. It is unclear whether maternal iodine deficiency is associated with postpartum thyroid function abnormalities. To prevent iodine deficiency, leading international societies recommend that pregnant and lactating women or those who are planning for pregnancy should take supplements containing 150 µg of iodine daily. The studies regarding the effects of iodine supplementation during pregnancy on postpartum thyroid dysfunction have shown no difference in the frequency or severity of the condition. However, it is still unclear whether postpartum women supplemented with different doses of iodine are at risk of developing thyroid dysfunction, compared with non-supplemented women. To address these research questions, the present systematic review and meta-analysis was the first to investigate whether postpartum maternal iodine status or supplementation is associated with thyroid function after delivery.