The effect of oral iodized oil on the breast milk iodine content

ABSTRACT

The effect of oral iodized oil administration on the breast milk iodine concentrations was studied at different stages of lactation in two groups of women, one control and the other, experimental group. A single dose of iodized oil contraining 400 mg iodine was given orally to each woman of experimental group during the third trimester of pregnancy. Casual urine samples before dosing and breast milk samples after parturition were collected. 37.5 percent of the subjects had low urinary iodine excretion (ie. less than 50 ug per gram creatinine). In the control group, milk iodine concentrations were low compared to Western data. Breast milk iodine concentrations were significantly higher in the experimental group, as compared to the control group up to six months postpartum. A greater part of iodine was found to be secreted in the colostrum and in most cases, milk iodine concentrations declined towards six months postpartum. The present study indicates that oral iodized oil containing 400 mg iodine given during the third trimester of pregnancy can effectively provide adequate iodine in the breast milk for the infants for the first six months.