Breastfed infants metabolize perchlorate.

Bifidobacteria are the dominant intestinal bacteria in breastfed infants. It is known that they can reduce nitrate. Although no direct experiments have been conducted until now, inferred pathways for Bifidobacterium bifidum include perchlorate reduction via perchlorate reductase.

Perchlorate, iodine supplements, iodized salt and breast milk iodine content.

This study was undertaken to determine if increasing maternal iodine intake through single dose tablets will decrease breast milk concentrations of the iodine-uptake inhibitor, perchlorate, through competitive inhibition. We also sought to determine if the timing of supplementation influences the fraction of iodine excreted in milk versus urine and to compare the effectiveness of iodized salt as a means of providing iodine to breastfed infants. Thirteen women who did not use supplements, seven of whom used iodized salt and six of whom used non-iodized salt, submitted four milk samples and a 24-h urine collection daily for three days.

Fenton digestion of milk for iodinalysis.

Iodine is an essential micronutrient especially important in the neurodevelopment of infants. Spot samples of urinary iodine (UI) are used as an epidemiologic index of adult iodine nutrition. Individual infant iodine nutrition is of vital importance, but infant urine is difficult to collect, much less a 24 h sample.