Final answer:
A severe iodide deficiency during early pregnancy may result in an infant afflicted with cretinism, which is preventable through the use of iodized salt or iodine supplements. The condition can cause severe intellectual disabilities and developmental delays due to inadequate thyroid hormone production.
Step-by-step explanation:
A severe iodide deficiency during early pregnancy can result in an infant afflicted with cretinism. Cretinism is a condition characterized by severe intellectual disability, stunted physical growth, deafness, muteness, and various other developmental delays. It is a form of congenital hypothyroidism where the thyroid gland is underactive from birth, leading to deficits in thyroid hormones critical for brain development.
Iodine is crucial for the production of thyroid hormones, and without sufficient iodine, neither the mother nor the developing fetus can produce enough of these hormones, leading to developmental issues. Preventing goiter and cretinism is possible with the regular use of iodized salt or iodine supplementation.
Other conditions such as rickets, xerophthalmia, and scurvy are caused by deficiencies in other nutrients. Rickets is associated with inadequate vitamin D, xerophthalmia with vitamin A deficiency, and scurvy with insufficient vitamin C. It is essential to address all these nutritional needs to prevent a wide spectrum of deficiency diseases.