Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate placental transfer of fluoride (F) in 30 pregnant women at the time of giving birth, who were living in Poznan, Poland, where the F concentration in the drinking water ranges from 0.4 to 0.8 mg/L. F concentrations of maternal and umbilical venous cord blood plasma were determined in samples drawn at delivery. The mean concentration of F in maternal plasma was significantly higher than in venous cord plasma (3.54 vs. 2.89 ?mol/L, respectively), and both values were similar to those previously documented in pregnant women taking prenatal F supplements. The results confirm that F readily passes through the placenta and that prenatal F supplements, still recommended by some authors, are contraindicated in this population.