The American Dental Association, which has for many years been one of fluoride's biggest advocates, alerted its members late last year that parents of infants younger than a year old "should consider using water that has no or low levels of fluoride" when mixing baby formula.

However, while public health agencies in some states, such as Vermont and New Hampshire, immediately issued warnings in the media based on the ADA alert, other states took months to relay the message.

Florida's Department of Health put the message on its website four months after it was issued along with a note that read: "Mixing formula with fluoridated water poses no known health risks."

The ADA was concerned about fluorosis, a condition caused by too much fluoride that damages the enamel of teeth. Some scientists believe that even mild to moderate cases of fluorosis can lead to more significant problems. Studies have associated fluorosis with lower IQ, endocrine system problems, and skeletal damage.

St. Petersburg Times June 4, 2007

 Dr. Mercola's Comment:

After more than half a century of denial, the American Dental Association has finally capitulated to the facts and issued warnings on the dangers of fluoride.

Adding fluoride to drinking water (to prevent tooth decay) has been standard practice in many countries for 60 years. But the practice has come under scrutiny, as fluoride has been banned by more and more European countries.

Unfortunately, too much fluoride can lead to fluorosis, a discoloring of the teeth and breakdown of enamel -- itself a result diametrically opposed to the dental health it supposedly is meant to prevent -- and more serious developmental problems such as lower IQ. Excessive use of fluoride also increases the risk of osteoporosis and can damage the nervous system.

Children enrolled in the Women, Infant and Children's Nutrition program (WIC) are particularly at risk, since the WIC program only subsidizes powdered and condensed baby formulas that have to be mixed with water.

If you are unable to breastfeed, please educate yourself on the dangers of fluoride (an industrial waste product from the phosphate fertilizer industry) as well as the health risks of using infant formulas. Instead of mixing already unhealthy formulas with fluoridated water, take the advice from my series, Healthy Alternative to Conventional Infant Formula, which includes recipes for healthy homemade baby formulas.

Recently I posted a video with award-winning author Christopher Bryson, in which he reveals the dangerous deception at the heart of the unnecessary use of this toxic chemical. If you didn't see before, here's your second chance.

Related Articles:

The Toxic Toothpaste

Canadian Dental Association Advises AGAINST Fluoride Supplements in Young Children

Media Reports on Dangers of Fluoride in Your Water

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