If you use formula, check your water.

[Kalah]

I was just reading through some articles and came across one about flouride in water. It's from last year, but still interesting for those of you who didn't already know. If you use formula you should not be mixing it with tap water if it is fluoridated (boiling or filtering water does NOT remove fluoride).
Here's the article: https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/11/13/cdc-and-ada-now-advise-to-avoid-using-fluoride.aspx

Even promoters of fluoridation concede that the major benefits are topical; fluoride works from the outside of the tooth, not from inside of your body, so why swallow it?

The fluoride added to your drinking water is in fact a chemical waste product! It is NOT something you should use as a supplement to your diet.

There are plenty of studies showing the dangers of fluoride to your health, such as:

Increases lead absorption
Disrupts synthesis of collagen
Hyperactivity and/or lethargy
Muscle disorders
Brain damage, and lowered IQ
Arthritis
Dementia
Bone fractures
Lowers thyroid function
Bone cancer (osteosarcoma)
Inactivates 62 enzymes
Inhibits formation of antibodies
Genetic damage and cell death
Increases tumor and cancer rate
Disrupts immune system
Damages sperm and increases infertility
As far as tooth decay is concerned, this is not caused by lack of fluoride.

You can find out for sure if your water is fluoridated by calling your water company. Your health visitor might also know, they usually have to so they can advise what type of toothpaste to use.

 

[Janidog]

The problem is, you are not supposedly allowed to use bottled water either (can't remember where i read that) so its a bit difficult not to use tap water

 

[Kalah]

The problem is, you are not supposedly allowed to use bottled water either (can't remember where i read that) so its a bit difficult not to use tap water

Yeah I've heard that too. I've seen special jugs of "baby water" and always thought it was a con, but now I understand it. It is pretty annoying though for people who live in areas with fluoridated water that use formula. I know for sure my area is unfluoridated, so anyone else who's water comes from North Umbrian water is safe

 

[k4th]

My hv mentioned this to me a few weeks ago when we were talking about toothpaste. She said water in the north-west of the uk has very low levels of flouride.

Sounds like this is good for formula & bad for teeth!! Why is nothing easy???!

(just in case u wanted to know - babies in nw of uk should use adult toothpaste from the start as there isn't enough flouride in water - apparently!!! If I'm wrong, please let me know but don't shoot the messenger!!)

xx

 

[Kalah]

My hv mentioned this to me a few weeks ago when we were talking about toothpaste. She said water in the north-west of the uk has very low levels of flouride.

Sounds like this is good for formula & bad for teeth!! Why is nothing easy???!

(just in case u wanted to know - babies in nw of uk should use adult toothpaste from the start as there isn't enough flouride in water - apparently!!! If I'm wrong, please let me know but don't shoot the messenger!!)

xx

Yeah my HV told me the same, I'm in the NE and the water isn't fluoridated at all here. It's not actually bad for teeth though (I thought it was too) if you read that article it talks about how there's no benefit to drinking it, it's only good for putting it on the teeth not inside your body. I always felt funny about drinking it anyway, I'm originally from Missouri (US) and they put all sorts of things in the water there! Some places it even spelled like a mixture of wet dog and copper..yum

 

[winegums]

I'm so silly I thought all tape water had fluoride lol

 

[Mum2Alfie]

STOP PANICKING!!!! Drives me mad how all these stupid things come out and people believe them!!! Boiled tap water is fine! Has been fine for years, always will be fine!!! Do you not think that if there was something wrong with it it would be looked into deeply and BANNED?? Babies have never died from anything related to this!! Chill out and stop loooking for problems! There is way too many in the world already for people to go looking for it!

 

[neeyore]

STOP PANICKING!!!! Drives me mad how all these stupid things come out and people believe them!!! Boiled tap water is fine! Has been fine for years, always will be fine!!! Do you not think that if there was something wrong with it it would be looked into deeply and BANNED?? Babies have never died from anything related to this!! Chill out and stop loooking for problems! There is way too many in the world already for people to go looking for it!

Hun I don't think Kalah or anyone who posted meant to scare or worry people, she just came across something she felt was concerning enough to share with us since we all have a mutual interest. You're probably right that it is fine and we shouldn't need to focus on it since our babies seem perfectly healthy but I don't think we should be so harsh when someone is just trying to share or make us aware of what they feel could be important

 

[shortie1990]

Not bein funny but if tap water was that bad.. We wouldn't have it!

Does my head in all this do this don't do that your baby can't eat/drink that you bad bad bad mother!

 

[PepsiChic]

well everyone here has to remember that water in Britain doesnt have floride added to it. At least it didnt the whole 21 years i lived there! its added to water in certain states in America though.

our tap water has added floride to it, but we dont drink it because its very hard water and doesnt taste nice at all. we use bottled nursery water for LO which has a small amount of floride added to it. I feel safe using it. And Lo's toothpaste is floride free.

 

[Kalah]

STOP PANICKING!!!! Drives me mad how all these stupid things come out and people believe them!!! Boiled tap water is fine! Has been fine for years, always will be fine!!! Do you not think that if there was something wrong with it it would be looked into deeply and BANNED?? Babies have never died from anything related to this!! Chill out and stop loooking for problems! There is way too many in the world already for people to go looking for it!

Hun I don't think Kalah or anyone who posted meant to scare or worry people, she just came across something she felt was concerning enough to share with us since we all have a mutual interest. You're probably right that it is fine and we shouldn't need to focus on it since our babies seem perfectly healthy but I don't think we should be so harsh when someone is just trying to share or make us aware of what they feel could be important

Thank you for that, I didn't mean to scare anyone and certainly wasn't panicking. It is a legitimate concern though, that list of problems that could result from too much fluoride is scary.

 

[kmac625]

If that's an issue then most everybody in Canada is screwed because all of our tap water has fluoride in it (except for maybe tiny little middle-of-nowhere places or if you're on well water which isn't too common). And bottled water doesn't mean it won't have fluoride in it because most bottled water is just filtered tap water anyhow.

 

[PrayinForBaby]

OT OP, but my husband just asked...did that kid puke on the table and pass out?? I said 'no, fell asleep while eating lol' HAHA!!

 

[iHeartbaby#1]

My hv mentioned this to me a few weeks ago when we were talking about toothpaste. She said water in the north-west of the uk has very low levels of flouride.

Sounds like this is good for formula & bad for teeth!! Why is nothing easy???!

(just in case u wanted to know - babies in nw of uk should use adult toothpaste from the start as there isn't enough flouride in water - apparently!!! If I'm wrong, please let me know but don't shoot the messenger!!)

xx

Yeah my HV told me the same, I'm in the NE and the water isn't fluoridated at all here. It's not actually bad for teeth though (I thought it was too) if you read that article it talks about how there's no benefit to drinking it, it's only good for putting it on the teeth not inside your body. I always felt funny about drinking it anyway, I'm originally from Missouri (US) and they put all sorts of things in the water there! Some places it even spelled like a mixture of wet dog and copper..yum

I'm pretty sure fluoride is bad for their teeth. Maybe the US has different regulations or something but i was told not to give fluoride toothpaste until at least 2 years. The book "what to expect the first year" says something about dental fluorosis in children if they have too much fluoride.

 

[Kalah]

My hv mentioned this to me a few weeks ago when we were talking about toothpaste. She said water in the north-west of the uk has very low levels of flouride.

Sounds like this is good for formula & bad for teeth!! Why is nothing easy???!

(just in case u wanted to know - babies in nw of uk should use adult toothpaste from the start as there isn't enough flouride in water - apparently!!! If I'm wrong, please let me know but don't shoot the messenger!!)

xx

Yeah my HV told me the same, I'm in the NE and the water isn't fluoridated at all here. It's not actually bad for teeth though (I thought it was too) if you read that article it talks about how there's no benefit to drinking it, it's only good for putting it on the teeth not inside your body. I always felt funny about drinking it anyway, I'm originally from Missouri (US) and they put all sorts of things in the water there! Some places it even spelled like a mixture of wet dog and copper..yum

I'm pretty sure fluoride is bad for their teeth. Maybe the US has different regulations or something but i was told not to give fluoride toothpaste until at least 2 years. The book "what to expect the first year" says something about dental fluorosis in children if they have too much fluoride.

Yeah, dental fluorosis is exactly what that article (and this thread) is warning about. I had never even heard of it before I read that! Apparently during the first 8 years of life when the bones are growing a lot all that fluoride is really not good.

For the people in the areas with fluoridated water you really should read that article and consider not making up formula with that water.

 

[Kalah]

OT OP, but my husband just asked...did that kid puke on the table and pass out?? I said 'no, fell asleep while eating lol' HAHA!!

That's what someone said about it on facebook too! It does kind of look like puke at first glance

 

[iHeartbaby#1]

Yeah, dental fluorosis is exactly what that article (and this thread) is warning about. I had never even heard of it before I read that! Apparently during the first 8 years of life when the bones are growing a lot all that fluoride is really not good.

For the people in the areas with fluoridated water you really should read that article and consider not making up formula with that water.

Sorry i misunderstood. I thought when you said it's not bad for their teeth, you were referring to the fluoride itself when in actuality you meant having tap water without fluoride isn't bad for their teeth

If I had just read your username i would have noticed you were the creater of the thread in the first place

 

[crazydiamond]

There is a map here for those in the UK showing fluoride levels
https://dwi.defra.gov.uk/consumers/advice-leaflets/fluoridemap.pdf

I think it is a bit debatable whether babies should use fluoridated toothpaste. Baby toothpaste contains lower amounts so there is less risk of tooth discolouration from the fluoride.

 

[iHeartbaby#1]

My LO's baby toothpaste (3m +) doesn't contain any fluroride.

 

[maddog37]

I might as well put my 2 cents in here since I studied and worked with water treatments. We put fluoride in the tap water here (Canada) specifically to help infants with their teeth in case the parents don't brush the young'uns teeth so early -- this is in fact the ONLY reason we add fluoride to our water. The amount put in is just enough to help them but isn't enough to have an adverse effect. At least that's what we learned in university.

I've heard of an extremely small percentage of children being allergic to fluoride, but should note that I've only ever read of those on anti-fluoride websites.

Personally I'm more concerned about the hardness of the water in my area. And well water has a lot more metals usually than tap water. But we should all make our own informed decisions.