Fluoride Action Network
Infant Exposure
"Your public water supply is fluoridated. Recent studies have discovered the possibility that infants less than 12 months old may be consuming too much fluoride, increasing their risk of dental fluorosis. Parents and caregivers can reduce this risk by using water that has very low fluoride levels or is fluoride free when mixing with liquid concentrate or powdered infant formula. Consult your healthcare provider for more information”Start an Infant Fluoride Warning Campaign
There is no better time than now to start an infant fluoride warning campaign in your own community. Already, 41% of American adolescents have dental fluorosis as a result of overexposure to fluoride. Public health organizations like the American Dental Association (ADA) have known for years that infants should not be consuming fluoridated water, but they have done little to educate parents and consumers for fear that it will jeopardize their work to expand fluoridation. An infant fluoride warning on water bills and annual water quality reports is a proactive way to finally educate parents, caregivers, state officials, and public health professionals about the need to reduce infant exposure to fluoride so they can take action to prevent a further increase in the fluorosis rates and overexposure. Click here to see a copy of FAN’s model legislation.Over the past year, infant notices have been adopted throughout the United States, impacting more than 2.4 million residents. Last October, the city of Austin, Texas passed a resolution calling for the posting of infant warnings on the City’s website, in neighborhood centers, in WIC stations, and in notices sent to all Austin Water Utility customers. Several months later, the New Hampshire Legislature (the largest in the U.S.), the Senate, and the Governor overwhelmingly approved HB1416, which required infant notices in all annual water quality reports, on water company websites, and in all town halls. And in July, the City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin approved a resolution requiring an infant notice in annual water quality reports, posted on the water works and health department websites, and posted in all health department facilities. In addition, the resolution also required health department personnel to inform residents about the risks of fluoridated water for infants when conducting maternal and infant home visits.
Now we need your help to keep the momentum going in the effort to educate parents and water consumers about this critical issue. Below are the basic materials necessary to start a campaign locally. Review all of the materials yourself to learn about the campaign, then share them with friends, colleagues, local media, your pediatrician and dentist, and with local decision-makers, such as your City Councilors or State Legislators. While an infant warning is a great fluoride policy reform for all fluoridated communities, it is particularly helpful in communities that are forced to fluoridate by the state or county government. In this case, while you may not be able to prohibit fluoridation at the local level, you can certainly introduce an infant warning to educated local parents and to protect local children. An infant warning is also particularly helpful when confronting a city council that is supportive of fluoridation. This is fluoride policy reform that even proponents can and should get behind.
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INFANT FLUORIDE WARNING CAMPAIGN MATERIALS
- FAN’s Infant Fluoride Warning Overview Handout
- Additional Infant Fluoride Warning Statements Handout
- “Calculating the Correct Dose” Infant Fluoride Supplementation Guidelines Handout
- FAN’s Infant Fluoride Warning Poster
- FAN New Zealand’s Infant Fluoride Warning Poster
- Original ADA eGram Infant Warning
- Video: FAN’s Infant Fluoride Warning Overview
- Dr. Paul Connett and Dr. James Beck discussing the Infant Fluoride Warning Campaign (Part One / Part Two)
- New Hampshire Infant Warning Law and final bill text
- Milwaukee, WI Infant Warning Resolution Language
- Examples of Opposition to Infant Fluoride Warnings (Example One / Example Two)
TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION:
- Send a Letter to the Editor of your Local Paper about Infant Fluoride Warnings
- Send your State Legislators a Letter Urging them to Support and Introduce an Infant Fluoride Warning
- 5 Ways to Protect Your Child Immediately
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New Hampshire Passes First State-Wide Fluoride Warning Law
Beginning August 4, 2012, New Hampshire will require notification that 6-month-olds should not be routinely fed infant formula mixed with fluoridated water to avoid discoloring babies' unerupted teeth (fluorosis), reports the Fluoride Action Network (FAN). Passed by the House, 253-23, unanimously by the Senate, and signed by the Governor, HB-1416 reads:
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Harvard Study Finds Fluoride Lowers IQ
Harvard University researchers' review of fluoride/brain studies concludes "our results support the possibility of adverse effects of fluoride exposures on children's neurodevelopment."
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Impact of Fluoride on Neurological Development in Children
In a meta-analysis, researchers from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and China Medical University in Shenyang for the first time combined 27 studies and found strong indications that fluoride may adversely affect cognitive development in children. Based on the findings, the authors say that this risk should not be ignored, and that more research on fluoride’s impact on the developing brain is warranted.
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The Fluorosis Risk: Infant Formula Made with Fluoridated Water
Babies who ingest infant formula made with fluoridated water have a significantly elevated risk of developing dental fluorosis in their permanent teeth. The fluorosis caused by infant exposure will generally appear on the child's front teeth, the teeth most likely to embarrass and cause anxiety for the child if they have fluorosis stains. The following
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Fluoride Is Not an Essential Nutrient
In the 1950s, dentists believed that fluoride was a “nutrient.” A nutrient is a vitamin or mineral that is necessary for good health. Dentists believed that fluoride ingestion during childhood was necessary for strong, healthy teeth. A “fluoride deficiency” was thus believed to cause cavities, just like a deficiency of calcium can
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Infants Have Impaired Ability to Excrete Fluoride
"Approximately 80% of an absorbed dose of fluoride is retained in young children compared to 50% in adults. This is supported by the finding that renal fluoride excretion rate is lower in children than adults. This difference in fluoride retention is due to high fluoride uptake in developing bones." SOURCE: Agency
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Relationship between municipal water fluoridation and preterm birth in Upstate New York
Monday, November 9, 2009 Abstract #: 197468 TITLE: Relationship between municipal water fluoridation and preterm birth in Upstate New York AUTHORS: Rachel Hart, MPH, Division of HIV Health Care, NY State Department of Health AIDS Institute, Albany, NY Jonathan Feelemyer, MS, The Baron Edmond de Rothschild Chemical Dependency Institute, Beth Israel Medical Center, NY, NY Christina
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Top 5 Ways to Reduce Fluoride Exposure from Infant Formula
For situations where breast feeding is not a feasible option, this page provides 5 concrete ways to reduce your baby's exposure to fluoride when preparing infant formula.
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