Fluoride and Children

Fluoride from drinking water and other sources such as toothpaste can strengthen tooth enamel and help prevent tooth decay. Below is a list of questions that parents frequently ask about fluoride and how it can help their children.

Why do children need fluoride?

Fluoride is an important mineral for all children. Bacteria in the mouth combine with sugars and produce acid that can harm tooth enamel and damage teeth. Fluoride protects teeth from acid damage and helps reverse early signs of decay. Make sure your children are drinking plenty of water and brushing with toothpaste that has fluoride in it.

Is fluoridated water safe for my children?

Yes. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), along with the American Dental Association (ADA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), agree that water fluoridation is a safe and effective way to prevent tooth decay.  

Should I mix infant formula with fluoridated water?

According to the ADA, it is safe to use fluoridated water to mix infant formula. The risk if mixing infant formula with fluoridated water is mild fluorosis (see below for more information on this condition).

What if I prefer not to use fluoridated water for infant formula?

If you prefer not to use fluoridated water with formula, you can:

• Breastfeed your baby
• Use bottled or purified water that has no fluoride with the formula
• Use ready-to-feed formula that does not need water to be added

How else can my child get fluoride?

There are many sources of fluoride. Fluoridated water and toothpaste are the most common. It is also found in many foods and beverages. So making sure your child eats a balanced diet with plenty of calcium and vitamin D is a great way to keep teeth healthy. Your dentist or pediatrician may also recommend a topical fluoride treatment during well child or dental visits at various stages of your child’s development.

When should my child start using fluoride toothpaste?

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends using a “smear” of toothpaste on children under the age of two twice each day. Children aged 2-5 can use a “pea-size” amount.
Recommendations regarding the use of fluoride toothpaste in children under the age of 2 vary.

Life after Destiny, the foster child.

I'd like to share my experience of fostering a baby girl, Destiny.  She came to us on March 4, 2011 when she was just over 4 months old.  She left our care on May 7, 2012, just over 18 months old.
From the beginning she was a delight, and I loved watching her grow from a baby to a toddler.  She calls me Papa.  From the beginning we wanted her to know that she is loved and wanted by adults that may not be her biological family.  I don't believe that someone has to give birth to a child for them to love that child.  Children just want to be loved and nurtured.
I have embraced my experience of being a foster parent.  As for any parent it is exciting to see how we influence the growth and development of a child.  Destiny is bright, loving, and of course beautiful.  Of course I'm biased, but then why not?  She deserved a good start to life, and I helped give that to her.
The house has been quiet for 2 days now, and I am looking for things to do to keep me occupied during the times I would have been reading to Destiny or just playing dolls with her.  She was a great help in the garden, I'd plant the flower and she would pull it out.  What else do you do with flowers at 18 months old?  Smell them!
She will be missed at my house, but I hope and pray that the family who has her now will give her as much love and attention as we did when she lived with us.

Is Your Child Overweight?

Pediatricians evaluate children’s growth and build by means of standardized growth charts and body mass index (BMI). Growth charts show whether a child falls within the normal range of height and weight for her age. Children whose weight or height is above the 85th or below the fifth percentile should be examined for  further evaluation.
Body mass index is a calculation of your child’s weight relative to height. A BMI above the 85th percentile means overweight, while children above the 95th percentile are considered obese, which increases their risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. The BMI percentile that defines severe obesity is 120% of the 95th percentile. If your child’s BMI is between the 85th and 95th percentiles, her excess weight may be fat or muscle. Growth charts and BMI tell only part of the story because neither method measures body fat. Children and adolescents who are particularly athletic with unusually muscular or lean builds may have a high BMI without having excess fat or being obese. However, almost all children and adolescents with a BMI above the 95th percentile have too much body fat, regardless of their ethnicity or muscularity.

If your child is overweight because her frame size is increased, reassure her that her extra weight is not fat and encourage her to be physically active to maintain her muscle tone. Also, be actively involved in any discussions with your pediatrician and your child about your child’s weight. To prevent worries about body size, parent and child need to accept the child’s body type. Other members of the family may have a similar build. If you focus inappropriately on weight alone and pester your child to lose weight, she may develop a distorted body image and risk an eating disorder. It’s estimated that 70% to 80% of girls perceive themselves, whether rightly or wrongly, as too fat. Experts warn that a misperception of body image may be partly fueling the current obesity epidemic, with inappropriate dieting followed by rebound weight gain.

Get Kids to Eat More Veggies

A Half-Plate of Veggies and Fruit

Anticipating mealtime battles now that the new USDA dietary guidelines suggest half our plates be filled with fruits and vegetables? Getting kids to eat more veggies doesn't have to be a fight. It can feel intimidating, but you can do it.

Get Kids in the Kitchen
Take them to a farmers market or grocery and have them pick out a veggie. Let them wash, peel, and slice it and help choose how to cook and flavor it. "Get them to touch it and smell it. Having them see how the food is prepared makes them less intimidated. Having a sense of ownership makes them more likely to eat it."

Offer Veggies With Fave Foods
If your child already likes plain pizza, see if she'll try adding a single veggie topping. Some kids don't like to mix foods especially messing with a food they think is already perfect. But some kids will be willing to experiment. Try setting up bowls of veggies for pizza night, taco night, or salad night, and let the family go wild. Kids may be tempted by the selection and fun of it being hands-on.

Make Veggies Fun
For a young child, making faces with cut-up veggies may help get them from his plate to his mouth. Calling broccoli "trees" or cauliflower "brains" can make them much less intimidating. Making food mini-sized also can make it more kid-friendly. "Oftentimes, it's the entertainment behind it, It's the exploration -- making it fun."

Don't Battle Over Veggies
When you're frustrated that your child won't try a veggie, it can be tempting to get mad or force her to clean her plate. Forcing a child to eat something can cause them to avoid eating it, even as adults. "You never want to force feed because you don’t want it become an emotional drama. Don’t react one way or another. There are going to be things that they're not going to eat."

Offer One New Vegetable Plus a Familiar One
Don't overwhelm your child by offering an entire plate filled with foods he doesn't recognize or doesn't like. Ask him to try only one new vegetable at a time. Make sure you serve other familiar foods, hopefully including at least a veggie he already likes. That way you can encourage him to try the new food, but you'll both know he'll have something to eat if he isn't a fan.

Don't Give Up
If you've offered broccoli or spinach to your child several times and she's made a yucky face, don't give up. Kids' tastes change as they grow. They might have to try a new food a dozen times before they like it. "Don't label your kid a picky eater, if you do, they may live up to the label. Instead, just try, try again. Sooner or later, they're going to be bold."

Make Veggie Popsicles and Smoothies
Purees sweet potatoes and carrots, mixes them with plain yogurt and a little orange juice, then freezes them like Popsicles. Try mixing veggies and fruits into smoothies too. Mix up an avocado with plain yogurt and frozen bananas and strawberries for a creamy, healthy treat.

Take Advantage of Peer Pressure
Does your child have a friend who is an adventurous eater? Invite him over for dinner and serve up some new veggies. Peer pressure may work in a good way and your child may be more likely to try a new food if her buddy is bold enough to try it first.

Serve Veggies and Dip
A healthy dip like hummus may make raw vegetables more appealing to kids. (Don't serve up sour cream or mayo-based dips.) Offer an array of baby carrots, snap peas, and other veggies with a bowl of tasty dip. Besides hummus, find a healthy recipe for ranch dressing that substitutes plain, low-fat yogurt instead of mayo. Kids like the act of dipping, and they like eating foods with their fingers.

Set a Good Example
It's hard to convince a child to eat Brussels sprouts if you won't go near them. Parents need to think of themselves as salespeople, so eat veggies yourself, and make sure your child is watching. If you're not a big vegetable fan, then have Grandma or the sitter take on the role of veggie booster. Sometimes kids will listen to other people more than they'll listen to mom and dad

Sneak Veggies Into Baked Goods
"It eliminates the battle," makes brownies with pureed spinach, chocolate chip cookies with white beans, and muffins with sweet potatoes and carrots. "Kids are happy. Parents are happy. The body is happy. It's a total win/win."