Home | Basics of too much and too little | Growth | OptiDoseŽ | For pediatricians | Watch where you're going | Zebra teeth | Graph of old fluoride doses | How the doses hit the teeth | Physical effects of fluoride | ECC | Comparing our recipe and the status quo | Zero start | How many infants are low in fluoride? | How many infants are high in fluoride? | Balance studies | Three ways to perfect doses | Dose recs | Contacts
Zero start
Infant fluoride and the OptiDoseŽ dropper - by Ray Grogan

pnfdecidu.jpg

I do not expect to have the droppers made soon. But if I decide to waste some time and money, I'll make 2 new droppers with even lower doses than we now have (.033 mg F / kg). The new ones will be .011 and .022 mg / kg.

The idea will be to start gradually. It took me a few years to notice that when I start at birth at .033, it is still a jump up from zero. It is actually of the same magnitude as the AAP's first jump (see the middle graph on the comparison page).

My proposed solution is to give the pediatrician 3 droppers to work with for a newborn. I'll suggest from birth until a month old the lowest dose, .011, then up to .022 for a month, then regular doses (.033 mg F / kg). (Or super conservatives could stay with .011 until the AAP doses started.)

These doses are pretty low. I don't have my notes handy, but that .011 is about what it takes in balance studies to prevent a negative balance in fluoride. It is also about what the fetus should get in a well nourished pregnancy (at least 1 mg F a day, divided by mother's weight).

How many infants are low in fluoride?