The following information, online today, was “last reviewed: November 3, 2015”. As one can read, there are no warnings or information for bottle-fed infants, child carers, and others on fluoride’s neurotoxicity. Nor is there any mention of an important study by Till et al. (2019), Fluoride exposue from infant formula and child IQ in a Canadian birth cohort, published in Environment International and funded by the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. We include this for historical purposes only. (EC)
Does using infant formula increase risk for dental fluorosis?
Because most infant formulas contain low levels of fluoride, regularly mixing powdered or liquid infant formula concentrate with fluoridated water may increase the chance of a child developing the faint white markings of mild fluorosis.
Does the type of infant formula I use affect my child’s chance of getting dental fluorosis?
Can I use fluoridated tap water to mix infant formula?
Yes, you can use fluoridated water for preparing infant formula. However, if your child is only consuming infant formula mixed with fluoridated water, there may be an increased chance for mild dental fluorosis. To lessen this chance, parents can use low-fluoride bottled water some of the time to mix infant formula; these bottled waters are labeled as de-ionized, purified, demineralized, or distilled, and without any fluoride added after purification treatment. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires the label to indicate when fluoride is added.
Can I use bottled water to mix infant formula?
Yes, you can use bottled water to reconstitute (mix) powdered or liquid concentrate infant formulas, but be aware that the fluoride content in bottled water varies. If your child is exclusively consuming infant formula reconstituted with water that contains fluoride, there may be an increased chance for mild dental fluorosis (a change in the appearance of tooth enamel creating barely visible lacy white markings). To lessen this chance, parents may choose to use low-fluoride bottled water some of the time to mix infant formula. These bottled waters are labeled as de-ionized, purified, demineralized, or distilled and are without any fluoride added after purification treatment (FDA requires the label to indicate when fluoride is added). Some water companies make available bottled waters marketed for infants and for the purpose of mixing with formula. When water is labeled as intended for infants, the water must meet tap water standards established by the EPA and indicate that the water is not sterile. For more information, see the FDA’s general Q&A about bottled water and infant formulaExternal.
Page last reviewed: November 3, 2015
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