Fluoride Unsafe for Babies, say Dentists
Fluoride chemcials added to your tap water must not be mixed into infant formula
New York City adds fluoride chemicals (hydrofluosilicic acid) to your water supply, not to purify it, but in a failed attempt to medicate water drinkers against tooth decay. The American Dental Association is at the forefront of this dubious process; but now they are telling new parents to stay away from the fluoridated faucet when preparing their infant foods.
New York - December 2006 -- The American Dental Association (ADA) warned their members, but not the public, that fluoridated water must not be mixed into concentrated formula or foods intended for babies one year and younger, in a November 9th ADA e-mail alert.(1) The ADA joins the Food and Drug Administration in recommending only non-fluoridated water be used for reconstituting concentrated infant formulas.(1a)
“Who will alert parents and provide fluoride-free bottled water to low-income families,” asks lawyer Paul Beeber, President, New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation, Inc. (NYSCOF). "And how much fluoride is too much."
A physician who is also a Tennessee State Legislator sent letters to 221 Tennessee Water Departments urging they stop fluoridation. (1e) The Minnesota Dental Association (1f) and the Vermont Department of Health (1g) sent out a news releases advising against using fluoridated water for preparing infant foods.
Two-thirds of U.S. public water suppliers add fluoride chemicals, based on a disproved theory that fluoride ingestion prevents cavities. And, bottled water with added fluoride is now sold with specific instructions to mix into infant formula.(2)
Ready to feed U.S. milk-based formulas already contain from 0.04 to 0.55 milligrams of fluoride per liter (mg/L) of formula. Soy-based formulas show a range of 0.04 to 0.47 mg/L fluoride (1b). Breastmilk contains a low 0.005-0.01 mg/L fluoride (1c) And breastfed babies are less likely to get tooth decay. (1d)
The ADA reports, “…infants could receive a greater than optimal amount of fluoride through liquid concentrate or powdered baby formula that has been mixed with water containing fluoride during a time that their developing teeth may be susceptible to enamel fluorosis.”(3) The ADA recommends using fluoride-free water.
Enamel or dental fluorosis is white spotting, yellow, brown and/or pitted permanent teeth. Pictures:
http://www.fluoridealert.org/dental-fluorosis.htm Dental fluorosis is the outward sign of fluoride toxcity. Some studies indicate that bone damage is more common in children with dental fluorosis. (3a)
NYSCOF news releases in 2000 and 2004 (4,5) cited studies linking fluorosis to infant foods mixed with fluoridated water. Scientific evidence here:
http://www.fluoridealert.org/health/infant/ Some scientists also tried in vain to get the word out sooner as described in “Suppression by Medical Journals of a Warning about Overdosing Formula-Fed Infants with Fluoride,” published in 1997 in the Journal Accountability in Research.(10)
It took until 2006 for the ADA’s alert, following the Food and Drug Administration’s October disapproval of fluoridated bottled water marketed to babies,(6) and after the recent National Research Council’s (NRC) fluoride report indicating babies are fluoride overdosed from “optimally” fluoridated water supplies.(7)
“The ADA claims the NRC report didn’t question the safety of fluoridation(8) but it did, as the ADA now admits,” says Beeber.
“The NRC also revealed fluoridation’s adverse effects to the thyroid gland, diabetics, kidney patients, high water drinkers and others,” says Beeber.
Now, the Centers for Disease Control reports that modern science shows that fluoride absorbs into enamel topically.(9) However, adverse effects occur upon ingestion. Further, the CDC admits enamel fluoride concentration is not inversely related to cavities.
The Environmental Protection Agency is required to consider the most vulnerable populations when setting allowable water fluoride levels. To protect babies, allowable water fluoride levels must be near zero.
The Environmental Working Group analyzed government data in March 2006 and found that babies are over-exposed to fluoride in most major U.S. cities.(11)
“This should end water fluoridation,” says Beeber. “Fluoridation is a failed concept that must be abandoned before more Americans are harmed,” says Beeber.
References:
1)
http://www.ada.org/prof/resources/pubs/epubs/egram/egram_061109.pdf 1a) US FDA, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Office of Nutritional Products, Labeling, and Dietary Supplements, October 14, 2006, “Health Claim Notification for Fluoridated Water and Reduced Risk of Dental Caries
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/flfluoro.html 1b) Pediatric Dentistry, "Water and Formula Fluoride Concentrations: Significance for Infants Fed Formula," Van Winkle et al.
http://www.aapd.org/searcharticles/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=817 1c) Fomon SJ, Ekstrand J, Ziegler EE. (2000). Fluoride intake and prevalence of dental fluorosis: trends in fluoride intake with special attention to infants. Journal of Public Health Dentistry 60(3):131-9.
1d)
http://breastfeed.com/resources/articles/sweettooth.htm 1e)
http://www.fluorideaction.net/press/hensley.htm 1f)
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/061121/cgtu066.html?.v=51 1g)
http://healthvermont.gov/news/2006/120806fluoride.aspx 2)
http://www.nurserywater.com/home.html 3)
http://www.ada.org/prof/resources/positions/statements/fluoride_infants.asp 3a)
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/Fluoridation-News-Releases/browse_thread/thread/20b328821b24dcc4/9882f8d2ce4caad5?lnk=gst&q=fluorosis+and+bone+damage&rnum=1#9882f8d2ce4caad5
4)
http://www.orgsites.com/ny/nyscof/_pgg10.php3 5)
http://tinyurl.com/y8czsd 6)
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/flfluoro.html 7)
http://www.nap.edu/openbook/030910128X/html/44.html 8)
http://www.ada.org/prof/resources/topics/fluoride_report_response.pdf 9)
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5014a1.htm 10)
http://www.sustainabilitycentre.com.au/FormulaFedBabies.pdf 11)
http://ewg.org/issues/fluoride/20060322/index.php New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation, Inc.
PO Box 263
Old Bethpage, NY 11804
www.orgsites.com/ny/nyscof
nyscof@aol.com News Releases
http://tinyurl.com/6kqtu Tooth Decay Crises in Fluoridated Areas from Lack of Dental Care
http://www.fluoridenews.blogspot.com By NYSCOF
nyscof@aol.com http://www.orgsites.com/ny/nyscof NA PO Box 263, Old Bethpage, NY 11804