what about fluoride drops?

Emily is 5 months now. I was at the dentist with her yesterday for my own
checkup, and the dentist was very surprised to find that I didn't have her
on fluoride drops yet. He said they start right around this time, and
wondered why my ped hadn't mentioned it.

Fluoride drops? Yeah, I know what they're for, but I have perfect teeth,
and we didn't have fluoride in our water, or by supplement. Is this really
critical for future teeth development? I don't want to be neglectful, but I
also don't want to be giving drops and supplements for this and that.

Also, is iron supplementation critical at this point or do they get enough
in breast milk. We have the tri vi sol drops, but I wondered if they too
are critical?

Betsy

"oregonchick" wrote:

Emily is 5 months now. I was at the dentist with her yesterday for my own
checkup, and the dentist was very surprised to find that I didn't have her
on fluoride drops yet. He said they start right around this time, and
wondered why my ped hadn't mentioned it.

Fluoride drops? Yeah, I know what they're for, but I have perfect teeth,
and we didn't have fluoride in our water, or by supplement. Is this
really critical for future teeth development? I don't want to be
neglectful, but I also don't want to be giving drops and supplements for
this and that.

Also, is iron supplementation critical at this point or do they get enough
in breast milk. We have the tri vi sol drops, but I wondered if they too
are critical?

Betsy

I don't know about the fluoride, but the iron supplements are not necessary
as long as her iron levels are fine. At Alexander's 9 month appointment they
took blood and checked his iron. It was fine. I don't supplement.

rj

I thought fluoride drops were out of favor now. I was prescribed them
for my first baby, but that was 15 years ago, and the ped never
prescribed them for the next four (the same pediatrician). Same for
the vitamin drops. I can't remember whether they were recommended for
my 12 or 11 year olds as babies, but they've cretainly never mentioned
them for the 5 year old or the baby. BF is supposed to take care of
all that until baby starts solids, I believe.

Leslie

oregonchick wrote:
Emily is 5 months now. I was at the dentist with her yesterday for my own
checkup, and the dentist was very surprised to find that I didn't have her
on fluoride drops yet. He said they start right around this time, and
wondered why my ped hadn't mentioned it.

Fluoride drops? Yeah, I know what they're for, but I have perfect teeth,
and we didn't have fluoride in our water, or by supplement. Is this really
critical for future teeth development? I don't want to be neglectful, but I
also don't want to be giving drops and supplements for this and that.

Also, is iron supplementation critical at this point or do they get enough
in breast milk. We have the tri vi sol drops, but I wondered if they too
are critical?

Betsy



There is quite a bit of info about the dangers of fluoride in young
children here.
http://www.fluorideaction.net/

My oldest gal was given the drops in 83 and suffers from flourosis.

My gf who is a dental hygenist said no way would she give a baby
flouride knowing what they know now.

You might want to get a second or third opinion.

Jo

There is absolutely NO evidence that the systemic use of fluoride
provides any benefit at all, and there is evidence that it can cause
fluoriosis, both in teeth and bones. It is currently thought than
any benefit from fluoride is based on topical application to the
teeth themselves.

Based on the above the preponderance of evidence indicates you
should NOT be giving to fluoride to small infants. To that you
might add the fact that there is a fair amount of fluoride now in
all commerical waters, sodas, juices, etc. I think she will be
exposed to a large enough quantity of incidental environmenta
fluoride that you don't want to be giving any intentionally.

JMHO,
Larry

oregonchick writes:
: Emily is 5 months now. I was at the dentist with her yesterday for my own
: checkup, and the dentist was very surprised to find that I didn't have her
: on fluoride drops yet. He said they start right around this time, and
: wondered why my ped hadn't mentioned it.

: Fluoride drops? Yeah, I know what they're for, but I have perfect teeth,
: and we didn't have fluoride in our water, or by supplement. Is this really
: critical for future teeth development? I don't want to be neglectful, but I
: also don't want to be giving drops and supplements for this and that.

: Also, is iron supplementation critical at this point or do they get enough
: in breast milk. We have the tri vi sol drops, but I wondered if they too
: are critical?

: Betsy

Flouride -- living in an area with flouridated water, not a problem I
much deal with. No public health measures are critical for most people
-- I've never been in a car wreck, so if I never wore a seatbealt thus
far my whole life it would make no difference whatsoever to my current
health and well-being. Nonetheless appropriate doses of flouride,
either via flouridated water (now availble in baby stores) or drops do
promote healthy teeth.

Iron -- if you start supplementing with iron-rich foods at 6 months and
your baby has no risk factors, you should be OK without the drops.
Assuming they start off with an adequate supply they last the first 6
months on what they get from you prenatally, and then they need dietary
iron. Anemia only shows up when your iron stores are very depleted,
and now most peds don't check until 15-18 months, so better to pay
attention to feeding them iron from the get-go.

Tri-Vi-Sol -- Just about the only downside to increased breastfeeding
rates is an increased in rickets and vitamin D deficiency. It mostly
happens in dark-skinned babies who don't get much sun. And it's very
unlikely before 9 months -- it's usually in toddlers. So if it's
summer, you're outside some, and you expect to be giving vitamin-D rich
foods in the latter part of the first year, not so critical. No harm
in it though. And to clarify, tri-vi-sol does not have iron unless it
says "tri vi sol with iron"

Kate, ignorant foot soldier of the medical cartel
and the Bug, almost three years old

My Pediatrician told me to give my baby Tri-Vi-Sol when he was smaller
but now prescribed the other (Poly-Sol ) one but wrote it as a
prescription w/floride. I never even thought to question it but now Im
wondering. I have not used it yet and will talk to her again before I
use it.
Sher

I wonder if its only bad if your water already has Flouride in it?
Defenitly something to look into.
Gosh between the vaccinations (MMR) and now this it's enough to make
your head spin wondering what to do. I mean how do you know when to
just trust yout Dr. is doing right by your child? Im a Graphic Designer
and I expect that if you hire me for services that you'll take my
creative advise since I have a BFA in it and years of experience in
what I do. Why is it not the same with our Dr.s?
Part of me feels like how can I knowing nothing about being a Dr.
question what they have spent years of learning and practicing. I don't
lke to self medicate and thats why I go see a Dr. when I really need
something...

"oregonchick" wrote in message
. ..
Emily is 5 months now. I was at the dentist with her yesterday for my own
checkup, and the dentist was very surprised to find that I didn't have her
on fluoride drops yet. He said they start right around this time, and
wondered why my ped hadn't mentioned it.

Fluoride drops? Yeah, I know what they're for, but I have perfect teeth,
and we didn't have fluoride in our water, or by supplement. Is this
really critical for future teeth development? I don't want to be
neglectful, but I also don't want to be giving drops and supplements for
this and that.

Also, is iron supplementation critical at this point or do they get enough
in breast milk. We have the tri vi sol drops, but I wondered if they too
are critical?

We have fluoridated water here, so small amounts pass into breastmilk, but
there is no way I'd be giving a baby fluoride drops. I'm not sure what tri
vi sol contains, but breastmilk is *all* that is necessary for a baby for
the first six months.
I wouldn't advise iron supplementation either - of course, at a later date
should you have her iron levels tested and find that she is iron deficient,
that would be a different story. But as a 'just in case' measure, it isn't
advisable. See http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/vitamins/iron.html


--
Amy
Mum to Carlos born sleeping 20/11/02,
& Ana born screaming 30/06/04
http://www.freewebs.com/carlos2002/
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/a/ana%5Fj%5F2004/
My blog: http://spaces.msn.com/members/querer-hijo-querer-hija/

The difference is that while you can say "I do cartoon-like caricatures" and
then people consult you about related types of art (ie. comic strips,
caricatures, cartoons, other art using large flat blocks of colour) a Dr
can't say "I do flus" and then only treat that type of illness. There are
millions of diseases out there and millions of research articles about them
all being published every year. No Dr will keep up with it all, so they
sometimes miss things.

An elderly acquaintance of my mother's fell and hit his head. A week later
he started hallucinating. One Dr said late onset schizophrenia and
prescribed antipsychotics. Another said blood leak to the brain and sent him
to the local emergency ward. The 2nd Dr was right. That same Dr missed
uterine cancer in a woman which the first Dr recognised.

We are all interested and good at different things. A Dr is human and cannot
know everything about everything, even though they are required to. Just
like being a graphic designer does not make you an expert on art history,
renaissance art, cubism and Australian Aboriginal art. It's all art and you
might know about it, but you're not expert in the ENTIRE field of art and
graphic design.


"peggy-o" wrote in message
oups.com...
I wonder if its only bad if your water already has Flouride in it?
Defenitly something to look into.
Gosh between the vaccinations (MMR) and now this it's enough to make
your head spin wondering what to do. I mean how do you know when to
just trust yout Dr. is doing right by your child? Im a Graphic Designer
and I expect that if you hire me for services that you'll take my
creative advise since I have a BFA in it and years of experience in
what I do. Why is it not the same with our Dr.s?
Part of me feels like how can I knowing nothing about being a Dr.
question what they have spent years of learning and practicing. I don't
lke to self medicate and thats why I go see a Dr. when I really need
something...