Abstract
Breast feeding provides considerable benefits to the infant and mother. However, a lithium-based psychiatric medication may cause side effects in the child. Using laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), trace lithium levels were observed in the breast milk of lactating rats administered with lithium treatment postpartum. Subsequently, the mammary glands of female rats were analyzed using LIBS, energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Key biological elements iron, magnesium, cobalt, calcium, phosphorus, sodium, iodine, potassium, sulfur, chlorine and zinc were observed. Lithium at 1.06 µg/g was measured in the mammary glands of treated subjects, but was below the limit of detection in controls. Lithium also increased iodine content in the glands. Lithium is present in the breast milk and mammary glands of lithium treated female subjects and this is the likely route of entry to breast-fed infants.
Highlights
Breast milk is a natural and nutritious food source for infants and can protect them from disease while their own immune systems mature [1]
The secondary objective of this study is to present laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) as complementary, inexpensive, and easy to implement methodologies for trace elemental analysis of breast milk and tissues
The correlation coefficients indicated a positive trend for most elements commonly measured by LIBS and XRF (Ca, I, and K), suggesting that the methods are in agreement
Summary
Breast milk is a natural and nutritious food source for infants and can protect them from disease while their own immune systems mature [1]. Breast milk contains complex proteins, lipids, carbohydrates and other biologically active components [2]. These components are capable of inhibiting inflammation as well as enhancing specific antibody production [3,4]. The World Health Organization and UNICEF recommend breast feeding infants at least for two years. The milk composition can change over a single feed, as well as over the lactation period, and depends on the health of the mother [2]. Medication of the same class are expected to behave in infants if they are unintentionally transferred through breast milk [6]
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