Irish tap water not suitable for baby formula

5 October 2007

The State’s 18 maternity hospitals were warned yesterday by VOICE spokesman Robert Pocock that Irish tap water is not suitable for making up infant formula. The timing of this warning is important as this is National Breastfeeding Week. Breast-fed babies in Ireland are in a minority, with most receiving infant formula. At 40% Ireland has the lowest rate of breast-feeding in all Europe, with Nordic countries in the high 90% range. 

The advice refers to new research which reveals that the risk of dental fluorosis (the only cause is over-exposure to fluoride) starts from birth and not, as previously believed, only in later infant years. Dental fluorosis has increased eightfold among Irish teenagers since 1984. With four in ten now affected, it is described by Irish Dentists Opposing Fluoridation as an epidemic. 

Both the American Dental Association and the British Fluoridation Society advise parents to use no fluoride water or water with under 0.3milligrams of fluoride per litre. Since Irish tap water contains 0.7 milligrams per litre as of 1^st July 2007, it is not suitable for making up formula. 

Babies who are formula-fed in Ireland receive over 150 times more fluoride than those who are breast-fed because mothers’ milk is virtually fluoride-free. The National Children’s Hospital in Crumlin recommends five bottled waters as suitable for making up formula for new-borns – Evian, Vittel, Spa, Font Vella and Isabelle, all of which are very low in fluoride. VOICE has appealed to all maternity hospitals in the state to stop using tap-water in infant formula, and suggested the above bottled waters as alternatives. 

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For more information contact Robert Pocock on 01 2808431 or 086 8113071.