[Iodine deficiency in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina].

Iodine deficiency which causes the wide spectrum of disorders for all ages, is one of the significant public health problem worldwide. From the ancient times different iodine deficiency disorders were noticed in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in its some areas the goiter existed in endemic form. These facts confirm that its soil bas been iodine deficient and that necessity for iodine prophylaxis is obvious on its territory. The study was based on 5,523 children, of both sex boys and girls school age from 7 to 14 years, randomly selected with the equal participate subjects in relation to the age. The sample is representative and it has been assessed based on: total number of school children aged from 7 to 14 years, anticipated prevalence of goiter 5% level of probability 95%, relative punctuality 30% and the factor called "design effect" which is 3. The study was carried out in whole ten cantons in the schools with equal representation among cities and villages. In examining of prevalence of giter we used inspection and palpation. Determination of iodine concentration in urine was carried out by the method is based on Sandel-kolthof's reaction. The technique used for determination of concentration of iodine in salt was iodinemetric titration. The prevalence of goiter was 27.6% in Federation of Bosnia and Heryegovina. The highest prevalence of goiter was in Bosnia Podrinje Canton (51.20%) while the lowest was in West Herzegovina Canton (12.90%). The urinary iodine excretion in investigated children varied from 1 to 208 *mg/L with median of 77.6 *mg/L. Iodine contetn in household salt samples was from 3 to 29.8 mg/kg, range 14.4 + 5.9 mg/kg. The results of our study show the persistence of mild to moderate iodine deficiency in Bosnia and Herzegovine Federation. Therefore according to the recommendations of the World Health Organisation, UNICEF and International Council for Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders, the salt for human, and animal consumption as well as for food industry which is consuming on its teritory, has to be iodinated on the place of its production without looking back whether or not it is produced or imported in Bosnia and Herzegovina Federation, lodination has to be performed with 20 to 30 mg KI per one kg of salt, thereby an average the iodine content has to be 25 mg per kg. In this way it will be prevented the wide spectrum of disorders, which we often are not aware for that its are caused by iodine deficiency. In addition it will be prevented many very important socioeconomical consequences of iodine deficiency.