APR

1 1969
RosBErRT G. Brown, M.D.
OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY
77 BIRCH STREET TELEPHONE
REDWOOD CITY, CALIFORNIA 94062 . 369-4601
March 25, 1969

Dr. Joshua Lederberg
c/o San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco, California

Dear Dr, Lederberg:

I read with interest your article on fluoridation of public water
supplies in the Chronicle on March 23rd, 1969.

This has been a problem for obstetricians because we are being
pushed to have fluoride prenatal capsules. JI have soluwd this problem for
myself by simply not prescribing it prenatally but urging the patient to
discuss the problem with the Pediatrician so that the newborn baby could be
supplied fluoride after birth. Inasmuch as the dentine lay down late in
pregnancy, it would appear that the newborn gets practically all of the
benefit of fluoride if tt is given shortly after birth, sparing the mother
the possibility of genetic problems etc. from fluoride during pregnancy.

Your paragraph stating "My own summary judgement would be to
acquiesce in a community decision for fluoridation, with regrets, but
accepting the argument that leaving the matter to individual choice would
in practice deprive many children of a positive benefit", does not
necessarily express the true situation. No child needs to be deprived
of fluoride, there are numerous commercial preparations on the market
such as Adeflor by Upjohn and Tri-Vi-Flor and Poly-Vi-Flor which retails
for about $1.10 a month and supply multi-vitamins plus. added fluoride.
If the family is in financial straits fluoridemewabie tablet or drops
are available in lots of 1,000 tablets at a cost of about $3.00 or da. 00
which would be a two or three year supply. All these preparations are
also on welfare.

Soctalogically it is hard to know what is fair, but certainly any
individual in this country who wants fluoride can have it at an extra-
ordinarily reasonahle cost. As you point out, those people that are on
artificialkidney machines and who have other medical reasons for not
having fluoridated water, will be forced to supply their water outside of
the public water supply which would be extraordinarily expensive over a
period of time,

There isn't any question that all is not knounabout fluoride also.

Very sincerely yours,

Jetod- ly Wtrte, br wo

Robert G Brown, M.D.
RGB: ew