infant formula

Don’t Feed Babies Fluoridated Water say NYS Health Officials

By NYS Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation, Inc.
May 18, 2011, 6:26am

Babies fed infant formula mixed with New York’s fluoridated tap water risk developing enamel fluorosis or discolored teeth, according to the New York State Department of Health (1).

Bureaucrats fail to effectively broadcast this vital information beyond their little-read websites which places babies at unnecessary risk of developing fluoride-damaged teeth.

Fluoride chemicals are added to tap water serving 12 million New Yorkers (8.4 million in NYC) in a failed effort to reduce tooth decay. Fluoridation costs NYC about $20 million yearly.(2)

In 2006, the National Research Council (NRC) cautioned that infants can fluoride-overdose via reconstituted baby formula using “optimally” fluoridated water and risk growing white spotted, yellow, brown and/or pitted permanent teeth (enamel fluorosis). (3)

“Parents, who are concerned about the risk of enamel fluorosis, can mix liquid concentrate or powdered infant formula with water that is fluoride-free or contains low levels of fluoride. Examples are water that is labeled purified, demineralized, deionized, distilled or reverse osmosis filtered water,” according to the NYS DoH’s website (1)

Advanced enamel fluorosis (pitting, brown stains) can be reached with exclusive and/or excessive formula use over a prolonged period, they report.

“Of course, parents are concerned about possibly disfiguring their baby’s brand new teeth,” says attorney Paul Beeber, NYSCOF President. “Officials should inform new mothers about this in every way they can. Instead they omit or downplay its significance seemingly to protect fluoridation policy,” says Beeber

Over 41% of adolescents are afflicted with enamel or dental fluorosis, reports the CDC. (4)

“As a cosmetic dentist, it is not uncommon to have patients receive gorgeous porcelain veneers to correct their dental fluorosis…Costs range from several hundred dollars to well over $25,000 and need to be retreated every 10 to 20 years for life time costs which may exceed $100,000 per person, writes Bill Osmunson DDS in the British Medical Journal. (5)

Fluoride exposure is rising and causing children's tooth imperfections, ranging from white spots to brownish discolorations and pitting, according to dentist Elivir Dincer in the NYS Dental Journal. “Such changes in the tooth's appearance can affect the child's self- esteem," Dincer writes.(6)

The NYS DoH joins many fluoridation-promoting organizations which quietly advise against feeding fluoridated-water to infants, e.g., US Dept of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control, American Dental Association, Academy of General Dentistry, Mayo Clinic, California Dental Association, Vermont Department of Health, Minnesota Dental Association, Delta Dental, and others. “All formula, either concentrates or ready-to-feed, [already] have some fluoride,” says Dr. Howard Koh, Assistant Secretary for Health, US Department of Health and Human Services.(7)

Koh advises low-fluoride bottled water be used for routinely reconstituting infant formula. “Government and University officials who protect the chemical fluoride over children’s health should be de-funded including researchers, state health commissioners and their dental bureaus,” says Beeber.

The Fairbanks, Alaska City Fluoride Task Force recommends ending fluoridation because, “This will reduce, but not eliminate, the risk of significant incidence and severity of fluorosis, especially fluorosis associated with the use of [Fairbanks fluoridated] water to prepare infant formula.” (8)

In 1990, some scientists tried in vain to get the word out. (“Suppression by Medical Journals of a Warning about Overdosing Formula-Fed Infants With Fluoride,” Journal Accountability in Research) (9)

FluorideGate? A recent article in an American Association for Justice newsletter for trial lawyers described potential upcoming fluoride legal actions based on personal injury, consumer fraud, and civil rights harm.(10)

References:

1) New York State Department of Health, “Guidance for Use of Fluoridated Water for Feeding during Infancy ”http://www.health.state.ny.us/prevention/dental/fluoride_guidance_during_infancy.htm

2) FOIA Letters to Paul S. Beeber from NYC Department of Environmental Protection February 2009 Page 1 http://www.scribd.com/doc/18235930/NYC-Fluoridation-Costs-2008-Feb-2-2009-Letter-Page-1 Page 2 http://www.scribd.com/doc/18235931/NYC-2008-Fluoridation-Costs-Page-2-Feb-2009-Letter

3) National Research Council, “Fluoride in Drinking Water: A Scientific Review of EPA’s Standards” http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=11571

4) Centers for Disease Control http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db53.htm

5) “Fluoridation: Time to Reevaluate,” letter by Bill Osmunson, DDS http://www.bmj.com/content/335/7622/699/reply#177639

6) "Why Do I Have White Spots on My Front Teeth," by Elvir Dincer, DDS, New York State Dental Journal, January 2008, Page 58 Volume 74, Number 1 http://www.nysdental.org/img/current-pdf/JrnlJan2008.pdf

7) Government Perspectives on Healthcare HHS: Proposed Guidelines on Fluoride in Drinking Water A Commentary By Howard K. Koh, MD, MPH http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/738322

8) http://www.ci.fairbanks.ak.us/documents/council/agenda/Agenda.pdf

9) http://www.sustainabilitycentre.com.au/FormulaFedBabies.pdf

10) “Fluoridegate and Fluoride Litigation: What Law Firms Need to Know About Fluoride Toxic Tort Actions,” by Chris Nidel, Rockville, MD & Daniel G. Stockin, Ellijay, GA Winter/Spring 2011 American Association for Justice newsletter http://www.justice.org/cps/rde/xchg/justice/hs.xsl/14815_14817.htm

All Infant Formula Contains Fluoride at Tooth Discoloring levels

By NYS Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation, Inc.
Oct 29, 2009, 6:53am

All infant formulas, whether ready-to-feed, concentrated or organic, contain fluoride at levels which can discolor developing teeth, reports the October 2009 Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) (1).

Fluoride, added to some bottled and public water supplies ostensibly
to prevent cavities, is also in many foods and beverages, including
infant formula. Excessive fluoride discolors and/or weakens permanent
teeth (moderate fluorosis).

Researchers measured fluoride content of 49 infant formulas. See:
http://www.freewebs.com/fluoridation/infantformulafluoride.htm

The research team concludes, "Most infants from birth to age 12
months who consume predominantly powdered and liquid concentrate
formula are likely to exceed the upper tolerable limit [of fluoride]
if the formula is reconstituted with optimally fluoridated water (0.7
- 1.2 ppm).”

Surprisingly, the study reveals that all 6-month-olds and younger will
also exceed the lower “adequate intake” (0.01 mg/day) from all
formulas (concentrated or not) risking moderate dental fluorosis from
formula, alone. (2)

Breast milk contains about 250 times less fluoride than "optimally"
fluoridated water and isn't linked to fluorosis.

"Babies don't need fluoride and fluoride ingestion doesn’t reduce
tooth decay,” says attorney Paul Beeber, President, New York State
Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation, Inc. “So why are US babies still
exposed to unnecessary fluoride chemicals via the water and food
supplies and why aren’t parents informed of the consequences?” asks
Beeber.

Up to 48% of school children have fluorosed teeth – 4% severe, reports
the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) (3).

Both the CDC and the American Dental Association’s web sites advise
parents to avoid mixing fluoridated water into concentrated infant
formula, but they have never effectively broadcast this information to
parents or the media (4,5).

A review of human studies by different researchers published in JADA
(July 2009) concluded, “Our systematic review indicated that the
consumption of infant formula [concentrated and ready-to-feed] is, on
average, associated with an increased risk of developing at least some
detectable level of enamel fluorosis.” (6)

“Parents, protect your children since dental and government agencies
won’t. Petition local and state legislators to stop adding unnecessary
and harmful fluoride chemicals into public water supplies and,
thereby, into our food supply,” says Beeber. “Further, demand that the
fluoride content of all food products be required on labels."

Researchers agree that infant formula levels should be lowered.

"One interpretation of the available
evidence would be that public health officials should create
guidelines for infant formula consumption ensuring that the upper
intake level established by the Institute of Medicine... is not
exceeded. Another approach would be to strive for 'biological
normality' and to strive for fluoride levels observed in breast milk,"
write Hujoel et al. in "Infant Formula and Enamel Fluorosis: A
Systematic Review. (6)

A recent investigation by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) found
that over-exposure to fluoride among infants is a widespread problem
in most major American cities. EWG's study found that, on any given
day, up to 60% of formula-fed babies in US cities were exceeding the
Institute of Medicine's "upper tolerable" limit for fluoride. (6a)

In 2004, fluoride researcher Dr. Teresa A. Marshall told Reuters
Health, "Very young infants are unlikely to benefit from the caries-
prevention effects of fluoride…They may be at increased risk of dental
fluorosis." (7) Marshall co-authored “Associations between Intakes of
Fluoride from Beverages during Infancy and Dental Fluorosis of Primary
Teeth,” in the Journal of American Clinical Nutrition. (b)

In 2000, researcher A K Mascarenhas evaluating only well-conducted
studies from the 1980s through the 1990s concluded in Pediatric
Dentistry that infant formula was a major risk factor for dental
fluorosis. (8)

As part of the on-going Iowa Fluoride Study, Levy and his team
measured the fluoride content of infant formula and found from 0.15 to
0.30 ppm in ready-to-feed infant formula. (9)

Common household water filters (e.g. carbon filters) do not remove
fluoride and unlike chlorine, which dissipates upon boiling, fluoride
becomes more concentrated when water is boiled.

Only distillation, reverse osmosis and political activism removes fluoride from tap water.

Parents are advised to control their chldren's total daily fluoride intake with the help of their dentists. But most dentists don't know what foods contain fluoride and at what levels. Also, most dentists are unware that fluoride ingestion does not reduce tooth decay (e.g. http://tinyurl.com/Yoder ) The USDA set up a Fluoride in Foods database to help parents out. However, that also is not well-advertised.

USDA: Fluoride-content of common foods: http://www.ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.htm?docid=6312

Pictures of fluorosis
http://www.fluoridealert.org/health/teeth/fluorosis/moderate-severe.html

SOURCE: New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation, Inc.
http://www.orgsites.com/ny/nyscof
http://www.FluorideAction.Net

References:

1) “Assessing a potential risk factor for enamel fluorosis: a
preliminary evaluation of fluoride content in infant formulas,”
Journal of the American Dental Association October 2009

2) http://fluoridation.webs.com/intakefromformula.htm

3) http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/figures/s403a1t23.gif

4) http://www.cdc.gov/fluoridation/safety/infant_formula.htm

5) http://www.ada.org/prof/resources/pubs/adanews/adanewsarticle.asp?art...

6) “Infant Formula and Enamel Fluorosis: A Systematic Review,”
Journal of the American Dental Association by Hujoel, et al, July 2009

6a) "National Academy Calls for Lowering Fluoride Limits in Tap
Water," EWG News Release, March 2006 http://www.ewg.org/node/21000

7) "Too Much Fluoride May Harm Babies' Teeth," Reuters Health, May 5,
2004
http://www.fluoridealert.org/media/2004c.html

8) Pediatric Dentistry. July-August 2000. "Risk factors for dental
fluorosis: a review of the recent literature," by Mascarenhas AK
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10969430?dopt=Abstract

9) Dental Clinics of North America 47(2003), "Current and future role
of fluoride in nutrition," by Warren & Levy, 225-243

More evidence that infant formula is linked to dental fluorosis:

http://tinyurl.com/AllFormulaContainsFluoride

Subscribe to infant formula