The US Public Health Service now warn of the dangers of Fluoridated water to infants. Fluoridated tap water (1 ppm) has 250 times more fluoride than occurs naturally in human breast milk (0.004 ppm). Using fluoridated water in preparing infant formula or foods dramatically overexposes infants to fluoride putting them at risk of developing dental fluorosis.
In November 2006 the American Dental Association (ADA) issued an advisory that water containing 0.7 ppm or more should not be used to reconstitute infant formula because of the risk of the child developing dental fluorosis. The US Government’s Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has since joined the ADA in also issuing this warning. Fluoridated tap water contains 0.7 ppm to 1 ppm of fluoride, so obviously the warning should apply to New Zealand.
The New Zealand Food Safety Standard also states that using fluoridated water for babies bottles is a risk for dental fluorosis. [FSANZ report P93, on Australia-NZ infant formula standard 2.9.1]. In the same month The Lancet (a respected medical journal) described fluoride as an “emerging neurotoxic substance” due to evidence linking fluoride to lower IQ in children and brain damage in animals. The continuation of current fluoridation policy is placing our most vulnerable at risk.
Dental fluorosis ranges from very faint white marks on the teeth to severe pitting and mottling of the teeth. It is the outward physical sign that a child has been over-exposed to fluoride.
Boiling water increases the fluoride concentration.
