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O/T Texas iodine study
 
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O/T Texas iodine study



http://www.bigspringherald.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2043...


Researchers seek breast-feeding moms in Howard County area for Iodine study

By THOMAS JENKINS Staff Writer
Researchers with the University of Texas at Arlington are looking for local mothers who are breast feeding their children to help complete a pair of studies on Iodide nutrition and chemicals in the environment that can interfere with thyroid hormones.

According to Andrea B. Kirk, Ph.D., from UT at Arlington’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, women have the option of participating in a pair of studies that could impact women’s health in the future.

“We are looking for 15 to 20 breast-feeding women from Howard, Martin, Andrews, Dawson, Gaines and Terry counties for two projects,” said Kirk. “We are also recruiting from the Portales and Clovis areas of eastern New Mexico. Participants must be healthy, lactating women who feed their infants only breast milk.

“One study asks that women collect two milk samples, two urine samples and a baby urine sample along with samples of drinking water. It takes about an hour to complete, and participants will be reimbursed $50 for their time and effort. The other study is longer. Participants will be asked to collect milk and urine samples one day a week for 12 weeks in a row. Participants for this study will be reimbursed $150. Women may participate in both studies if they wish.”

Kirk said Iodide plays a very important role during pregnancy and infancy, and Iodide deficiencies have been tied to mild to severe learning disabilities and mental retardation.

“Iodine is an essential nutrient needed solely for formation of thyroid hormones. When many people think of thyroid hormones they think of their roles in controlling weight. Thyroid hormones also play an important role in brain development,” said Kirk. “Infants who were mildly iodine-deficient or had relatively low levels of thyroid hormone during gestation are more likely to have learning disabilities and attention-deficit hyperactivity-like traits. Infants may be born with profound mental retardation if Iodine deficiency was severe.

“Brain development continues, of course, long after birth. It is important that infants continue to receive Iodine through breast milk or formula. Our research on iodide levels in human milk indicates American women may not be getting enough iodide to meet their infants’ needs. Most U.S. milk samples we have analyzed do not contain enough iodide to meet Institute of Medicine-recommended intake levels for infants.”

Kirk said a pair of chemicals — perchlorate and thiocyanate — can also inhibit the body’s ability to utilize iodide, another aspect of the study her and her fellow researchers are performing.

“There are many chemicals in the environment that can interfere with thyroid hormones,” said Kirk. “These chemicals may pose greater hazard to infants if they are already iodine-deficient. We are studying two chemicals, perchlorate and thiocyanate, that are known to interfere with iodide-uptake. We are concerned that these chemicals will reduce the iodide-content of milk.

“Once infants drink milk containing iodide-uptake inhibitors they will be at greater risk of iodide-deficiency simply because they may be less able to use the iodide they receive. Perchlorate is a common contaminant of food and water. It has been detected in ground water in the Texas panhandle. Thiocyanate is produced in the body during the metabolism of certain natural compounds in foods and cigarette smoke.”

Kirk said perchlorate has already been discovered in most of the nation’s supply of cow’s and human milk.

“We discovered perchlorate in cow’s and human milk in 2003,” said Kirk. “Since then we have completed two studies of perchlorate, and have undertaken three additional projects. One of our completed studies showed that perchlorate was present in human and cow’s milk samples sent from all regions of the U.S., including Alaska and Hawaii. The other showed that perchlorate levels in human milk vary over time. Levels are lower in the morning, and rise towards the end of the day. This is probably because perchlorate, while rapidly excreted, is consumed in food and water throughout the day.

“Our current perchlorate projects investigate how perchlorate, thiocyanate and iodide levels change together in milk. We have found that thiocyanate is also common in human milk. We will use data from these studies to evaluate infant perchlorate, iodide and thiocyanate intake.”

As studies on perchlorate move forward, Kirk said information on Thiocyanate and how it effects infants is still unclear.

“Thiocyanate in milk has not been studied in detail,” said Kirk. “We do not know how much is safe for babies to drink. There are no current recommendations for intake limits. Thiocyanate is high in serum of lactating women who smoke. It may also be high in their breast milk.”

For more information on the study, contact Kirk by e-mail at akirk@uta.edu or call (817) 272-0442.


Contact Staff Writer Thomas Jenkins at 263-7331 ext. 232 or by e-mail at citydesk@bigspringherald.com.
 

 
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