Is fluoride in water toxic to babies' brains? A rigorous study raises alarms.

[TexasTowelie]

A new study that suggests fluoride is harmful to developing brains is likely to fan the smoldering debate over the safety of adding the tooth-protecting mineral to public drinking water.

The study by Canadian researchers, published Monday in JAMA Pediatrics, found that pregnant women who drank more fluoridated water had children with lower intelligence scores at ages 3 and 4. An increase of a milligram of fluoride per day — the amount in about five cups of water — was linked to a loss of 3.7 IQ points for boys and girls.

However, the researchers separately analyzed the amount of fluoride in the pregnant women’s urine rather than just their water intake. In that sample, they found higher levels were linked to lower IQ only in boys.

The idea that fluoride is a brain toxin “must now be given serious consideration,” David C. Bellinger, a neurologist at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, wrote in an editorial. “If the hypothesis is true, the implications are worrisome.”

Read more: https://www.inquirer.com/health/fluoride-water-safety-babies-brain-neurotoxin-cdc-20190819.html
(Philadelphia Inquirer)

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

1. This is precisely the kind of thing that's going to need

a whole lot more research.

And I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest that losing fewer than 4 IQ points is worth having good teeth.

I'm old enough that my drinking water didn't generally have fluoride in it until I was 14 or so. I had lots of cavities as a child.

My two sons had fluoridated water. I think they each may have had one or two cavities, but that's all. Yeah, they needed braces, but ended up with strong, white teeth. And honestly, if either one of them has 3 or 4 IQ points fewer than they might have had, it was worth it. And I bet their IQs are higher than mine.

I mean, really. If I score 107 on an IQ test, and you score 110, in real life we would seem equally intelligent. And pick any two IQ numbers you want. I'll say the same thing.

Oh, something else to consider. If the fluoride really is a serious toxin, diminishing IQ on a steady basis, by now it would be very noticeable that the youngest generation would be down a good standard deviation from their great-grandparents. Let's get real here.

[mrs_p]

2. Wish I could rec this response. eom

[abqtommy]

3. Yes, let's do some robust research on this. Meanwhile,

the fact is that fluoride is available in most brands of toothpaste and easily accessible for older children and adults so let's not do too much hand-wringing.