Iodized salt in pregnancy and breastfeeding and infant brain development
Official title: Effect of iodized salt in pregnancy and lactation on infant neurodevelopment in rural Ethiopia
Funded at Brigham and Women's Hospital · NIH-11336204 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Pregnant and breastfeeding women in rural Ethiopia receive iodized salt to help support their babies' early brain, motor, and language development.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brigham and Women's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $490,696 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD107475-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11336204 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Pregnant women in rural Ethiopia with mild-to-moderate iodine deficiency who are in late pregnancy and plan to breastfeed, and their infants, would be the ideal participants.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not pregnant or breastfeeding, those living outside the study area, or those already receiving adequate iodine are unlikely to benefit directly from joining.
What this research studies
If I join, I would be enrolled in a trial in rural Ethiopia that builds on an existing pregnancy trial and adds a lactation intervention. Women are randomized using a 2x2 factorial design to receive strengthened nutrition support that includes monthly iodized salt and/or infection-control measures during pregnancy and lactation. My baby would have scheduled checks of early neurodevelopment (like attention, fine motor skills, language, and memory) and biological samples may be collected. The team follows mothers and infants through early infancy to compare developmental outcomes between groups.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could reduce iodine-related brain development problems and improve babies' early cognitive, motor, and language abilities.
How similar studies have gone: Iodine treatment for severe deficiency has clear benefits for child development, but results are mixed and less certain for mild-to-moderate deficiency and during lactation.
Where this research is happening
-
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cherkerzian, Sara — Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Cherkerzian, Sara
Related research
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Iodized salt and early brain development in babies of pregnant and breastfeeding women in rural Ethiopia
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.