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Fluoride is an unqualified good for preventing tooth decay, suggest its defenders, and fluoridated water is the best means of delivering it to the most people, particularly those who lack access to regular dental care.
We have zero doubt that such folks mean well, but they also seem to overlook a critical point: All drugs – and that’s what fluoride is considered when used in this way – have “side effects,” i.e., effects other than the favored ones. (Here’s a quick overview of fluoride’s.)
One of those effects is lower IQ, as dozens of studies have demonstrated and as new research in JAMA Pediatrics recently confirmed.
Specifically, the study looked at the impact of fluoride exposure during pregnancy on the IQ of the mothers’ offspring. Over 500 mother/child pairs were included. Children’s IQ scores were measured at age 3 to 4.
In this study, maternal exposure to higher levels of fluoride during pregnancy was associated with lower IQ scores in children aged 3 to 4 years.
In the CTV news clip below, lead author Dr. Christine Till talks about her team’s findings and significance. She also responds to some of the pushback by those don’t question fluoridation.
Other researchers have lauded the study, describing it as “carefully conducted and analyzed” and “an excellent study.” Philippe Grandjean of the Harvard School of Public Health, insists that the “CDC has to come out and look at the risk-benefit ratio again, because they can’t continue relying on studies that were carried out decades ago.”
Indeed.
Image by Małgorzata Sulej, via Flickr
The post The Latest Study to Link Fluoride Exposure with Lower IQ appeared first on Gary M. Verigin, DDS, inc..
