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Can Your Child Be Getting Too Much Fluoride Through Baby Food?
CHICAGO -- New research suggests young children may be getting more
fluoride than they need through baby foods, according to a study
published in the July issue of the Journal of the American Dental
Association (JADA).
"Our main concern is that these young children could be at increased
risk for mild to moderate dental fluorosis by ingesting too much
fluoride," says Steven M. Levy, D.D.S., one of the authors of the JADA
study from the College of Dentistry at the University of Iowa. "It's
important for parents to know how much fluoride their children are
getting, whether it's through the water supply, fluoride supplements,
fluoridated toothpaste or baby food."
Fluorosis is a mild to moderate cosmetic defect that occurs when more
than an optimal amount of fluoride is ingested. The result of mild
fluorosis is light spots on permanent teeth that develop while the teeth
are still forming.
The researchers analyzed the fluoride concentration of 238 commercially
available infant foods. They took samples for analysis from 206
ready-to-eat infant foods and 32 dry infant cereals, which they prepared
with water according to the manufacturer's directions.
The results of the analysis reveal ready-to-eat foods with chicken had
the highest fluoride concentrations.
One of the reasons for the high fluoride concentrations in infant foods
with chicken may be because of the processing method, according to the
study. The mechanical deboning process may leave skin and residual bone
particles in the food. Much of fluoride is stored in bone; therefore,
the higher concentrations in the chicken-containing products.
The researchers also found that dry infant cereals that are
reconstituted with fluoridated water may noticeably increase the levels
of fluoride in a child's daily intake.
"What we found in this study is fluoride concentrations for the
majority of all the products tested varied widely because of the
different water sources used to process the foods," Dr. Levy explains.
"The differences can be traced to the manufacturing sites that use a
fluoridated municipal water supply as compared to a non-fluoridated city
or well water."
The American Dental Association reminds consumers that drinking water
fluoridated at the recommended level or eating foods prepared or
processed with fluoridated water is safe and effective. Studies show
that community water fluoridation is the single most effective public
health measure we have to prevent tooth decay and improve oral health
for a lifetime.
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