Does Powdered formula contain fluoride?

[jenny]

i read that the AAPA says you shouldn't add fluoride water to powdered formula, is that b/c powdered formula contains fluoride?

[JBaxter]

No its the water you use to make it.

[jenny]

so is the concern then that if babies who drink only powdered formula with fluoride water, they may be getting too much flouride?

so how much flouride water is good then for a baby who's teeth are just coming in?

[jren]

Babies under 6 months (I think) don't need any flouride. Regular and powdered formula don't contain any. I think after 6 months, they recommend flouride supplements if your drinking water doesn't have flouride (well water). Otherwise, I think the amount you'd use to puree their food would be enough.

It makes sense to me that making formula with flourinated water would be a lot more flouride than just having it in their supplemental water cups (for older babies). They drink way more formula than they would water.

[brittone2]

I'm not big on fluoride, period, but here's the ADA statements on fluoride if you are interested:

http://www.ada.org/public/topics/fluoride/infantsformula_faq.asp

We used a xylitol toothgel for our kids as infants and use xylitol toothpaste as a family. Xylitol IMO has a lot of the same benefits (kills of the strep mutans bacteria that causes tooth decay) and I personally find it less of a concern than fluoride.

Spry makes a clear, lightly cherry flavored infant tooth gel with xylitol. There has been quite a lot of new research on xylitol in the past few years.