For years, some have been claiming that fluoride in water is not good for one’s health, particularly for children. There are no few studies supporting these claims which partly explain the recent court decision even if it is decades late.
One recent study by A.J. Malin et al titled “Maternal Urinary Fluoride and Child Neurobehavior at Age 36 Months” published on 20 May 2024 examines the effect of fluoride exposure on a US-based population.
Although “it is widely established that exposure to high fluoride levels can adversely affect neurodevelopment”, those studies were based on populations in Canada and Mexico.
Specifically, higher prenatal fluoride exposure in Canada and/or Mexico has been associated with lower IQ among children aged 3 to 4 years in Canada and children aged 6 to 12 years in Mexico, increased symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among children aged 6 to 12 years, poorer executive function among children aged 3 to 5 years, and poorer performance on measures of global cognition among 12- and 24-month-old boys.
The study included 229 mother-child pairs in Los Angeles, California, with a mean maternal age of 29.45 years (SD of 5.67 years). The male-female divide was almost equal with 116 female children (50.7%) and 113 male children (49.3%). Excluded were multiple-gestation pregnancies and those who were HIV-positive or had physical, mental, or cognitive disabilities.
Urine samples were collected during the third trimester. The Preschool CBCL (Child Behavior Checklist) is a parent-reported measure which was administered when the child was 36 months old.
Generally, an increase in fluoride exposure during pregnancy is associated with an increase in problems for the child.
1-IQR increase in MUFSG was associated with a 13.54% increase in raw scores for the Emotionally Reactive CBCL syndrome scale (B = 0.13; 95%CI, 0.02-0.24; P = .02), and a 19.60% increase in rawscores for the Somatic Complaints CBCL syndrome scale (B = 0.18; 95%CI, 0.07-0.28; P = .001). Additionally, a 1-IQR increase in MUFSG was associated with an 11.29% increase in scores on the DSM-5–oriented Anxiety Problems scale of the CBCL (B = 0.11; 95%CI, 0.003-0.21; P = .045) and an 18.53% increase in scores on the DSM-5–oriented Autism Spectrum Problems scale of the CBCL (B = 0.17; 95%CI, 0.04-0.30; P = .009). There were no other associations of MUFSG with other syndrome scales or DSM-5–oriented scales. There was no interaction between fluoride and sex.
1-IQR increase in this case is 0.68 mg/L. See Table 3 below for results.
One of the limitations is that there was no data on tap water consumption habits of the study sample. Thus, whilst urine samples are indicative of total fluoride consumption, causal associations to water consumption cannot be accurately drawn.
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