More Fluoride, More IQ Drops in Children, Experts Confirm
More Fluoride, More IQ Drops in Children, Experts Confirm

More Fluoride, More IQ Drops in Children, Experts Confirm

United States: A recently held study confirmed yet another link between fluoride consumption and lower child intelligence.

The study findings are published in JAMA Pediatrics on January 6.

More about the news

Dr. Kyla Taylor, the study co-author, stated that communities have used fluoridated water “for many years” as a way to protect children’s teeth while also boosting their oral health.

“However, there is concern that pregnant women and children are getting fluoride from many sources, including drinking water, water-added foods and beverages, teas, toothpaste, floss, and mouthwash, and that their total fluoride exposure is too high and may affect fetal, infant and child neurodevelopment,” she added, Fox News reported.

The latest study led by scientists from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) ran 74 studies to explore how fluoride affects a child’s IQ.

Scientists measured fluoride levels from drinking water and urine tests in 10 countries across Canada, China, Denmark, India, Iran, Mexico, Pakistan, New Zealand, Spain and Taiwan. Scientists did their study in foreign nations but not in the United States.

What more are the experts stating?

Meta-analysis results demonstrate a “statistically significant association” that rising fluoride exposure links to reduced IQ levels in children, according to Taylor.

“[It showed] that the more fluoride a child is exposed to, the more likely that child’s IQ will be lower than if they were not exposed,” she added.

Furthermore, Tylor emphasized that the given results were consistent with six previously held meta-analyses, all of which reported similar “statistically significant inverse associations” between fluoride exposure and children’s IQs.

The study revealed that when fluoride levels in urine rose by 1mg/L, children’s IQ scores dropped by 1.63 points.

What are the safe exposure levels?

According to the World Health Organization, fluoridated water’s “upper safe limit” is said to be 1.5mg/L above, which becomes dangerous to human health.

The U.S. Public Health Service says drinking water should contain no more than 0.7 milligrams of fluoride per liter.

“There was not enough data to determine if 0.7 mg/L of fluoride exposure in drinking water affected children’s IQs,” Taylor pointed out.

The researcher identified that much higher fluoride levels exist in water supplies that serve about three million people across the United States. She asked expectant mothers and parents of young children to track their total fluoride consumption.