title: Studies on fluoride distribution in infants and small children.
abstract: The fluoride (F) concentrations in hard tissues and blood plasma were determined in biopsy and autopsy specimens from fetuses, infants, and children on varying F intake. In newborn autopsy cases specimens consisting of rib, jawbone with teeth, and blood plasma the F concentrations of bone and dentin were of the same order, those of the enamel lower. Correlations between individual F values in different tissues were all positive, highest for enamel/dentin. Low birth weight entailed only slightly reduced F contents, high water F significantly increased F contents. In the biopsy material (rib and blood plasma) the maximal rib/ash concentration was about 400 parts/10(6) F. A negative correlation between rib F and plasma F is specially commented on. The possible influence of F on bone development as expressed by blood plasma F and phosphatase activity was investigated in three groups of infants aged 2-6 months, either breast-fed or fed dry-milk formulas diluted with drinking waters of different F content. The children of these groups were calculated to ingest F in the ratio of about 1:10:50. The highest F group had higher plasma F values than the two other groups, whereas its alkaline phosphatase was significantly higher than that of the lowest F group only. The influence of disturbances in the skeletal development on F retention studied in physically handicapped children aged 4-15 years living in a city with about 1 part/10(6) F in the drinking water. The severely handicapped showed a higher urinary F excretion than the controls.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D001706:Biopsy; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000378:metabolism*; D001942:Breast Feeding; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003743:Dental Enamel / Q000378:metabolism; D003804:Dentin / Q000378:metabolism; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000378:metabolism; D005459:Fluorides / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007568:Jaw / Q000378:metabolism; D008852:Microradiography; D012272:Ribs / Q000378:metabolism; D014070:Tooth / Q000378:metabolism*; D014074:Tooth Calcification
chemical_list: D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D005459:Fluorides