176561 Estimates of infants' fluoride intake from infant formulas in Korea

Monday, October 27, 2008

Hiejin Noh , Dept. of CRS & E, School of Dentistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Baek-Il Kim , Department of Preventive and Public Health Dentistry, College of Dentistry, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
Ho-Kwen Kwon , Department of Preventive and Public Health Dentistry, College of Dentistry, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
Choongho Choi , College of Dentistry, Chonnam National University, Gwang-ju, South Korea
Woosung Sohn , Dept. of CRS & E, School of Dentistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Objectives: To estimate the daily fluoride intake of infants fed infant formulas commercially available in Korea. Methods: The fluoride contents of twenty eight infant formulas were measured by a modified micro-diffusion method. The amount of daily fluoride intake was estimated under the assumption of feeding average daily amount of infant formulas recommended by the manufacturers reconstituted with water of varying fluoride concentrations (i.e., 0, 0.5, 0.8 and 1 ppmF). The estimated amounts were compared with the empirical upper limit of fluoride intake to prevent enamel fluorosis, 0.07 µ·/µ¸/day. Results: The fluoride content of the infant formulas ranged from 0.270 to 14.283 µg/g. When infant formulas were assumed to be reconstituted with fluoride free water, the amount of fluoride intake from two infant formulas was over the empirical upper limit (0.132-0.222 µ·/µ¸/day ). Reconstituted with 0.5 ppmF water, the amount of fluoride intake from nine infant formulas was over the empirical upper limit (0.071-0.269 µ·/µ¸/day). Reconstituted with 0.8 and 1ppmF water, the amount of daily fluoride intake from all but four infant formulas was over the empirical upper limit (0.094-0.317 µ·/µ¸/day). Conclusions: Infants fed from some infant formulas may ingest more fluoride than the empirical upper limit. Thus, there is need of regulation for proper fluoride content in infant formulas. There is also need for infant feeding guideline regarding fluoride intake for parents and health care providers in Korea.

Learning Objectives:
1.To understand estimation of the amount of fluoride intake from various infant formulas reconstituted with water of various fluoride concentration. 2.To understand the relationship between the empirical upper limit of fluoride intake and risk of enamel fluorosis. 3.To understand the need for monitoring of daily fluoride intake from infant formulas and the need for guidelines for parents education and health care providers.

Keywords: Infant Health, Oral Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: It is from my own research paper.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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See more of: Oral Health