The Department of Medical Sciences (DMS) has devised a long-term plan to tackle iodine deficiency in Thai children, an issue His Majesty the late King sought to address.
Citing the results of tests on newborn infants' thyroid-stimulating hormone, an indicator of iodine levels, DMS director-general Sukhum Karnchanapimai said iodine deficiency remains a significant health problem in Thailand.
The problem is hurting the intelligence of many children, according to Dr Sukhum.
The 2016-2021 plan for iodine deficiency control and prevention involves a push to carry out more research and monitoring of iodine deficiency by carrying out tests on food and people's urine, said the doctor.
Prior to drafting the new plan, the department has been carrying out a number of activities designed to help curb the problem, he said.
One of them is the iodine deficiency screening project that has been carried out on pregnant women nationwide, he said.
Another activity is a project to assess hormone levels in newborn infants, Dr Sukhum said.
Iodine deficiency in infants and toddlers may affect the development of their brain and the nervous system as iodine is crucial for generating brain cells and fibres, he said.
According to the American Thyroid Association, the body does not make iodine, so it is an essential part of a person's diet. If there is not enough iodine in the body, not enough thyroid hormone can be made.
Aware of the problem of low IQs among many Thai children, the department has initiated a project aimed at sustaining efforts to tackle iodine deficiency in the northeastern provinces of Udon Thani and Nong Khai, he said.
In the project, Dr Sukhum said, his department has been working with a public health network and the communities in the Northeast in attempting to promote the use of iodine in food production.
"Farmers have our support to grow iodine-rich vegetables and produce more eggs," he said, adding that potassium iodate solution is used to spray the plants while high concentrations of potassium iodate are mixed with chicken feed to increase the levels of iodine in their eggs.
Iodine is also added to pla ra fermented fish, the main ingredient of many northeastern-style dishes, said the doctor.
Dairy products, seafood, meat, some breads and eggs, are also great sources of iodine, he added.