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A study published yesterday (August 19) in JAMA Pediatrics reports an association between a pregnant mother’s urinary concentration of fluoride, often added to drinking water as a public health measure to reduce cavities, and the IQ of her son, but not her daughter, at age 3 or 4.
Fluoride prevents cavities by strengthening tooth enamel, and fluoridation of drinking water has been widely adopted in the US. Yet research has revealed potential risks associated with fluoride exposure during pregnancy. A small 2017 study conducted in Mexico, for example, has already suggested a link between prenatal fluoride exposure and IQ.
Using data collected as part of the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals program on pregnant mothers and their children born between 2008 and 2012 in six Canadian cities, the researchers examined the effects of mothers’ fluoride exposure during pregnancy and the IQ of their children at age ...
