Fluoride content of infant formulas prepared with deionized, bottled mineral and fluoridated drinking water

Usually infant milk formula is the major source of fluoride in infancy. Fluoride concentrations in ten samples of powdered milk formulas, prepared with deionizod, bottled mineral, and fluoridated drinking water were determined after HMDS-facilitated diffusion, using a fluoride ion specific electrode (Orion 9609). Fluoride concentrations ranged from 0.01 to 0.75 ppm; from 0.02 to 1.37 ppm and from 0.91 to 1.65 ppm for formulas prepared with deionized, bottled mineral (0.02 to 0.69 ppm F) and fluoridated drinking water (0.9 ppm F), respectively. Possible fluoride ingestion per kg body mass was estimated. With deionized water, only the soy-based formula should provide a daily fluoride intake of above the suggested threshold for fluorosis. With water containing 0.9 ppm F, however, all of them would provide it. Hence, to limit fluoride intakes to amounts < 0.1 mg/kg/day, it is necessary to avoid use of fluoridated water (around I ppm) to dilute powdered infant formulas.