For the typical mother-to-be living in a community that adds fluoride to the drinking water, the decline in IQ was 1.5 points (for boys only) or 2.3 points, depending on how fluoride exposure was measured.
“We’re talking about the fetus and right now there is absolutely no benefit derived for the fetus” from fluoride, senior author Christine Till of York University in Toronto told Reuters Health in a telephone interview. “If anything, there is a potential for risk.”
Thus, she said, the idea of limiting fluoride during pregnancy is “a no brainer” - and a major source is fluoridated water.
Fluoride only protects against cavities when applied directly to the tooth enamel, so there is no benefit to a baby until the child’s teeth have appeared.
Based on the new results, and other research from Mexico City which found a similar decline in I.Q., “The hypothesis that fluoride is a neurodevelopmental toxicant must now be given serious consideration,” said David Bellinger of Boston Children’s Hospital in an editorial.
Adding fluoride to drinking water to promote dental health has been a fixture of municipal drinking water systems as far back as the 1950s. About two thirds of people in the U.S. now have tap water that is fluoridated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The rates are lower in other countries.
The mineral is also added to toothpaste, which most people spit out after use but children often swallow. Labeling beverages for fluoride is required in Canada but not in the U.S. and other countries.
Other studies have also suggested that fluoride poses this type of risk. Mexican research published in 2017 in found that fluoride consumption produced lower I.Q. scores at age 4 and in older children age 6 to 12. The Canadian study, involving 100 women and their children from 6 major cities, was an attempt to clarify the issue.
Dr. Bellinger said the I.Q. decline seen in the new study is comparable to what other tests have shown.
Study coauthor Angeles Martinez-Mier, a fluoridation expert and a professor at the Indiana University School of Dentistry in Indianapolis, said that although pregnant women should reduce their fluoride intake, for everyone else, “we don’t have enough information to make policy recommendations, so you should stick with what you have,” including leaving fluoridation in place.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-h...-idUSKCN1V91C5
“We’re talking about the fetus and right now there is absolutely no benefit derived for the fetus” from fluoride, senior author Christine Till of York University in Toronto told Reuters Health in a telephone interview. “If anything, there is a potential for risk.”
Thus, she said, the idea of limiting fluoride during pregnancy is “a no brainer” - and a major source is fluoridated water.
Fluoride only protects against cavities when applied directly to the tooth enamel, so there is no benefit to a baby until the child’s teeth have appeared.
Based on the new results, and other research from Mexico City which found a similar decline in I.Q., “The hypothesis that fluoride is a neurodevelopmental toxicant must now be given serious consideration,” said David Bellinger of Boston Children’s Hospital in an editorial.
Adding fluoride to drinking water to promote dental health has been a fixture of municipal drinking water systems as far back as the 1950s. About two thirds of people in the U.S. now have tap water that is fluoridated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The rates are lower in other countries.
The mineral is also added to toothpaste, which most people spit out after use but children often swallow. Labeling beverages for fluoride is required in Canada but not in the U.S. and other countries.
Other studies have also suggested that fluoride poses this type of risk. Mexican research published in 2017 in found that fluoride consumption produced lower I.Q. scores at age 4 and in older children age 6 to 12. The Canadian study, involving 100 women and their children from 6 major cities, was an attempt to clarify the issue.
Dr. Bellinger said the I.Q. decline seen in the new study is comparable to what other tests have shown.
Study coauthor Angeles Martinez-Mier, a fluoridation expert and a professor at the Indiana University School of Dentistry in Indianapolis, said that although pregnant women should reduce their fluoride intake, for everyone else, “we don’t have enough information to make policy recommendations, so you should stick with what you have,” including leaving fluoridation in place.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-h...-idUSKCN1V91C5
Comment