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

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)