CHANGES IN THYROID, CEREBRAL COXTEX AND BONES OF THERAPEUTICALLY ABORTED FETUSES FROM ENDEMIC GOITER REGION SUPPLIED WITH IODIZED SALT FOR 5 YEARS

In 1979, we studied the thyroid glands, cerebral cortices and bones of therapeutically aborted fetuses from an endemic goiter region in Guizhou, and found that the thyroids were markedly enlarged and hyperplastic, while the cerebral cortices and bones were retarded in development. In 1984, we restudied the fetuses from the same region, then supplied with iodized salt, with the methods and criteria used previously. The data were compared with those of the fetuses from a nonendemic region and those obtained in 1979. The results showed that the thyroids, cerebral cortices and bones of the fetuses from the endemic region supplied with iodized salt no longer exhibited significant changes seen 5 years ago.