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The fractional urinary fluoride excretion in young children under stable fluoride intake conditions
A Villa1, M Anabalón, L Cabezas
1Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, University of Chile, Santiago. avilla@uec.inta.uchile.cl
Insights
Children excrete about 35.5% of their daily fluoride intake through urine. This fluoride excretion value (FUEF) can help estimate daily fluoride intake in young children.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Toxicology
Background:
- Fluoride intake is crucial for dental health but requires careful monitoring.
- Understanding fluoride excretion is key to assessing exposure and retention in children.
- Previous studies have indicated variability in fluoride metabolism across different age groups.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the fraction of daily fluoride intake excreted in urine (FUEF) in 3-5-year-old children.
- To investigate the relationship between fluoride intake dose and urinary fluoride excretion.
- To assess the potential of FUEF for estimating daily fluoride intake in children.
Main Methods:
- Conducted 24-hour intake and urine collections over two successive days in 20 children.
- Measured fluoride from liquids, solid foods, and fluoridated toothpaste.
- Estimated fluoride retention by accounting for fecal excretion (assumed 10%).
Main Results:
- Average daily fluoride intake was 1.02 mg F/day.
- Liquids, solid foods, and toothpaste contributed 40.8%, 34.6%, and 24.5% to intake, respectively.
- The average FUEF was 35.5%, with an estimated fractional fluoride retention of 54.5%.
Conclusions:
- A slight relationship was observed between FUEF and the inverse of the daily fluoride dose.
- Combined data with previous studies show a strong correlation between FUEF, fractional retention, and inverse dose.
- FUEF shows potential utility for estimating daily fluoride intake from urinary fluoride levels in children.
Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to determine the fraction of the total daily fluoride intake that is excreted through the urine (FUEF) of children aged 3-5 years under usual intake conditions. Participating children were residents of an area with a fluoride (F) concentration of 0.5-0.6 mg/L in their drinking water. Assessments were made on two successive 24-h periods on 20 children, measuring the total amount of fluoride ingested through liquid and food consumption, and from ingestion of fluoridated toothpaste (500 microg F/g), together with the determination of the amount of fluoride excreted through urine. Fluoride retention was also estimated assuming a constant average F fraction of 10% excreted through faeces. It was found that the average proportion of liquids, solid foods, and toothpaste to the daily fluoride intake (1.02-mg F/day on average) were 40.8, 34.6, and 24.5%, respectively. The average FUEF value was 35.5% (95% C.I.=31.7-39.3%), and the estimated fractional F retention was 54.5%. The present data suggest a slight relationship between FUEF values and the inverse of the daily fluoride dose (1/dose) (r=0.513; P=0.021). When the present results are combined with those from previous studies on F-retention and urinary excretion, the correlation between both FUEF and fractional retention and 1/dose are very strong and highly significant (r=0.98, P<0.0001, and r=-0.986, P<0.0001, respectively). A possible mechanism is suggested in order to explain this latter finding. The potential usefulness of the current FUEF value for the estimation of daily F intake (or dose) from urinary F excretion data is also discussed.