Pilot Study: Collection of Urine From Sanitary Napkins for the Analysis of Micronutrient Deficiencies

Urinary collection in newborns and infants can be difficult. Our study aims to find an easy and cheap alternative to urinary collection bags and specialized pads that can be used to measure biomarkers of iodine and vitamin B12 status in urine and can be employed in large scale trials. Using correlation analyses, the association of urinary iodine and methylmalonic acid from healthy volunteers will be assessed between untreated sample and a sample expressed from a sanitary napkin. Participants will be recruited based on their dietary pattern (omnivorous, vegetarian and vegans) to have a broad spectrum of analyte concentration. Participants weight, height, age, nutritional supplement use and diet will be assessed.