What’s In Your Baby’s Water?
赤ちゃんが飲む水に何が入っている？
After my last article, “What’s In Your Water?” I’ve gotten questions asking if it’s OK to use NYC tap water in baby formula powder. I know there is always a lot of debate with this question. What I will tell you here is what I believe as a dentist and as a mom.
There is a concern about enamel fluorosis that some holistic websites talk about. This type of fluorosis is usually associated with a higher level of fluoride that naturally occurs in certain local water supplies. The developing teeth may have some faint white or brownish spots or lines. NYC tap water has a small amount of fluoride added to it. While there IS a possible risk of mild fluorosis that may occur if too much fluoride is swallowed, the actual appearance of fluorosis is minimal while the beneficial effects of having teeth more resistant to cavities outweigh the possible cosmetic concerns.
Mother’s breast milk is best and preferred for a baby until at least 1 year old and if you’re using powdered formula, it’s OK to use NYC tap water. Brita, a popular water filter system does not filter out fluoride. I’ve used Brita filtered tap water for my 2 kids growing up and I still recommend filtered tap water for parents. Bottled “baby water” with fluoride added can be purchased at stores as well if you are unsure about your home’s water pipes. If there is a concern about the possible mild fluorosis then there’s always baby bottled water without fluoride.
With both my kids, my mother in law took care of them when I went back to work full time. She grew up in Taiwan where it was usual to boil water before drinking it. With my kids’ powdered formula, she used the Brita filter AND she boiled the water before cooling it down to use it for my children. I was born and raised in NYC and personally don’t believe that boiling tap water does anything beneficial so I just used Brita filtered water. I don’t know about Taiwan water and what’s in it that needed to be boiled before using but I’ve always drank non filtered tap water myself.
The American Dental Association recommends that children have their first dental visit by age 1. That is a good time for parents to discuss these concerns with their dentist. What’s better is to have the discussion even before 1 year. In my office, when my patient tells me they are expecting, I will discuss these and other questions with them and give them pamphlets on how to take care of their teeth while they’re expecting as well as how to take care of their baby’s teeth. Knowing what’s in your water as well as your baby’s water makes sense!
（次回は７月第２週号掲載）
〈Keyword〉baby formula powder 粉ミルク enamel fluorosis エナメル質フッ素沈着症
〈プロフィル〉Dr. Clara Lee ニューヨーク大学歯学部卒業。ニューヨーク大学ブルックデール病院でチーフレジデンス修了。13年以上に及ぶ臨床経験は一般歯科、コスメティック、インプラントを含む。インビザライン認定医。Waterside Dental Care院長として古山医師と共に、多くの日本人患者さんを治療。Dentistryをこよなく愛している。記事提供：Waterside dental Care（Tel：212-683-6260）
