USA - Offering a little advice on fluoride and babies
Friday, January 19, 2007 1:36 AM EST
To the editor:
On Oct. 14, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration notified bottled water manufacturers that they cannot claim that fluoridated water that is marketed to infants prevents tooth decay.
On Nov 9, the American Dental Association's e-gram, to its members and supporters, advised using fluoride-free bottled water to reconstitute powdered infant formula to prevent dental fluorosis. The ADA's advisory to "simply and effectively reduce fluoride intake during a baby's first year of life," was based on the National Research Council's March 2006 in-depth review of fluoride in drinking water.
On behalf of infants whose health is at risk, I offer these suggestions, to help parents "simply and effectively reduce fluoride intake during a baby's first year of life:"
a) Make educational materials on this issue available for distribution to the media, health centers, schools, pediatricians, hospitals, obstetrician's offices, dental clinics, and water departments.
b) Advise water departments to send warnings with each water bill and urge landlords to inform tenants.
c) Common sense suggests that baby formula containers display a warning: "Do not mix with fluoridated water." Legislation is needed to require formula manufacturers to print such a warning.
d) Thought must be given to providing fluoride-free water, without charge, to economically-disadvantaged parents.
e) Since it is total fluoride intake that should be reduced, parents must also be informed of the high fluoride content in some foods, e.g. jarred chicken baby food, grape juice, soy-based formulas, fish, etc.
It took the ADA 60 years to finally acknowledge that fluoride is dangerous for infants; if fluoride is not safe for everybody, then it is not safe for anyone.
Kathleen Fontaine
Plainville
To the editor:
On Oct. 14, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration notified bottled water manufacturers that they cannot claim that fluoridated water that is marketed to infants prevents tooth decay.
On Nov 9, the American Dental Association's e-gram, to its members and supporters, advised using fluoride-free bottled water to reconstitute powdered infant formula to prevent dental fluorosis. The ADA's advisory to "simply and effectively reduce fluoride intake during a baby's first year of life," was based on the National Research Council's March 2006 in-depth review of fluoride in drinking water.
On behalf of infants whose health is at risk, I offer these suggestions, to help parents "simply and effectively reduce fluoride intake during a baby's first year of life:"
a) Make educational materials on this issue available for distribution to the media, health centers, schools, pediatricians, hospitals, obstetrician's offices, dental clinics, and water departments.
b) Advise water departments to send warnings with each water bill and urge landlords to inform tenants.
c) Common sense suggests that baby formula containers display a warning: "Do not mix with fluoridated water." Legislation is needed to require formula manufacturers to print such a warning.
d) Thought must be given to providing fluoride-free water, without charge, to economically-disadvantaged parents.
e) Since it is total fluoride intake that should be reduced, parents must also be informed of the high fluoride content in some foods, e.g. jarred chicken baby food, grape juice, soy-based formulas, fish, etc.
It took the ADA 60 years to finally acknowledge that fluoride is dangerous for infants; if fluoride is not safe for everybody, then it is not safe for anyone.
Kathleen Fontaine
Plainville
posted by Bill at
9:58 AM
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