THE PERMEABILITY OF THE PLACENTA TO INORGANIC IODIDES

In recent years there has been considerable controversy among obstetricians and pediatricians as to whether or not inorganic iodides pass through the placenta and are absorbed by the thyroid of the fetus. Probably the majority of clinicians working in goiter belts have inclined to the opinion that congenital goiter is prevented by the administration of iodides throughout pregnancy. Thus it is reported that, since iodized table salt was introduced in certain areas of Switzerland in 1922, no children with congenital goiter have been born of women using the salt for at least five months of the pregnancy.¹

Experimentally, also, considerable work has been done on this subject and some textbooks, quoting Maurice Nicloux's review of the work done up to 1905, state definitely that potassium iodide as well as many other inorganic salts readily pass through the placenta. The experiments on which this statement is based were made during