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Urinary fluoride excretion of young children exposed to different fluoride regimes
Clare E Ketley1, Judith A Cochran, Michael A Lennon
1Department of Clinical Dental Sciences, The University of Liverpool School of Dentistry, UK. ketley@liverpool.ac.uk
Insights
Children drinking fluoridated school milk showed intermediate 24-hour urinary fluoride excretion. This suggests their fluoride intake falls between optimally fluoridated and low fluoride areas, offering insights into pediatric fluoride exposure.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Dentistry
- Public Health Nutrition
- Environmental Health
Background:
- Water fluoridation is a key public health strategy for preventing dental caries.
- Understanding fluoride intake and excretion in young children is crucial for assessing optimal exposure levels.
- Different sources of fluoride, such as water and milk, can contribute to overall intake.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare 24-hour urinary fluoride excretion in young children exposed to varying fluoride regimes.
- To assess the impact of water fluoridation and fluoridated milk on fluoride levels in children.
- To provide data on pediatric fluoride intake from different sources.
Main Methods:
- Collected 24-hour urine samples from children aged 1.8 to 5.2 years in three groups.
- Group 1: Cork, Ireland (water fluoride 0.8-1.0 mg/l).
- Group 2: Knowsley, UK (water fluoride <0.1 mg/l).
- Group 3: Knowsley children drinking fluoridated milk (0.5 mg fluoride daily).
- Measured urine volume, analyzed fluoride concentration, and calculated 24-hour urinary fluoride excretion.
Main Results:
- Mean fluoride excretion was 0.21 mg (SD=0.14) in non-fluoridated Knowsley.
- Mean fluoride excretion was 0.36 mg (SD=0.11) in fluoridated Cork.
- Mean fluoride excretion was 0.30 mg (SD=0.10) in children drinking fluoridated school milk.
Conclusions:
- Fluoride intake for children drinking fluoridated school milk appeared intermediate.
- This intake level was between that of children in optimally fluoridated areas and low fluoride areas.
- Findings highlight the contribution of fluoridated milk to overall fluoride intake in young children.
Aims:
To compare 24-hour urinary fluoride excretion in young children exposed to different fluoride regimes.
Design:
Twenty-four-hour urine samples were collected from children aged between 1.8 and 5.2 years. Samples were collected from Cork, Ireland (n=19) where the water is fluoridated to a concentration between 0.8 and 1.0 mg/l; Knowsley, UK, where the water fluoride concentration is <0.1 mg/l (n=22); and from children in Knowsley drinking milk containing 0.5 mg fluoride in nursery school each day (n=16). The volume of the samples was measured, they were analysed for fluoride concentration and the 24-hour urinary fluoride excretion was calculated.
Results:
It was found that the mean fluoride excretion in response to usual conditions of fluoride intake in these children was 0.21 mg (SD=0.14) in non-fluoridated Knowsley; 0.36 mg (SD=0.11) in fluoridated Cork and 0.30 mg (SD=0.10) in the children drinking fluoridated school milk.
Conclusions:
The daily fluoride excretion in these children, corrected for age and fluoride ingested from toothpaste, appeared to indicate that the fluoride intake in the children drinking fluoridated school milk was somewhere between those living in an optimally fluoridated area and those in a low fluoride area.