Moms2B Avoid Fluoride
During pregnancy Moms know to protect their babies by avoiding smoking, alcohol, medications, raw meat, and seafood (particularly high-mercury fish).We need to add to this list: fluoride in water, food, and drinks.
Why add fluoride to the list?
While there are 64 IQ studies reporting an association of fluoride exposure with lowered IQ, there are now 7 of these studies, known as the Mother-Offspring fluoride studies, that report a correlation between the level of fluoride in a pregnant women’s urine and lower IQ in their offspring.
The following four studies were funded by the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Science.
(1) The largest study by Green et al. (2019) with 512 mother-child pairs, was performed in Canada. Women living in areas with fluoridated tap water compared with nonfluoridated water had significantly higher mean urinary fluoride concentrations. A 1-mg/L increase in urinary fluoride levels was associated with a 4.49-point lower IQ score in boys, but there was no statistically significant association with IQ scores in girls.
(2) In another Canadian study of 398 mother-child pairs by Till et al. (2019) titled Fluoride exposure from infant formula and child IQ in a Canadian birth cohort, the authors concluded:
“After adjusting for fetal exposure, we found that
fluoride exposure during infancy predicts diminished non-verbal
intelligence in children. In the absence of any benefit from fluoride
consumption in the first six months, it is prudent to limit fluoride
exposure by using non-fluoridated water or water with lower fluoride
content as a formula diluent.”
(4) While not an IQ study, a 2018 study by Till et al., published a national survey of urinary fluoride levels in pregnant women across Canada. Canada and the U.S. have the same “optimum” fluoride regulation of adding .7 ppm fluoride to drinking water in fluoridation schemes. The authors noted:
“We measured fluoride levels in urine samples collected during
each trimester from 1,566 pregnant women living in fluoridated
and nonfluoridated communities in a Canadian pregnancy cohort.
We found that mean urinary fluoride values were almost two
times higher for pregnant women living in fluoridated regions
than for those in nonfluoridated regions (Table 2). The differences
in MUF [maternal urinary fluoride] concentration remained significant after adjustment for relevant covariates. Urinary fluoride levels were significantly lower among women living in nonfluoridated regions, despite the so-called diffusion or halo effect”
each trimester from 1,566 pregnant women living in fluoridated
and nonfluoridated communities in a Canadian pregnancy cohort.
We found that mean urinary fluoride values were almost two
times higher for pregnant women living in fluoridated regions
than for those in nonfluoridated regions (Table 2). The differences
in MUF [maternal urinary fluoride] concentration remained significant after adjustment for relevant covariates. Urinary fluoride levels were significantly lower among women living in nonfluoridated regions, despite the so-called diffusion or halo effect”
What should pregnant women know about these studies?
Fluoride exposure was determined by measuring fluoride in the urine of the pregnant women because that is a reliable measure of total fluoride exposure. The researchers found a correlation between the urine fluoride of the pregnant mothers and a loss of IQ points in their offspring in the following 5 studies:- 1. Green et al. (2019) reported lower IQ at between 3 and 4 years of age.
- 2. Bashash et al. (2017) reported lower IQ at 4 years of age and between 6 to 12 years of age.
- 3. Thomas et al. (2018) reported lower IQ in children between 1 to 3 years of age.
- 4. Valdez Jiménez et al. (2017) reported lower IQ between the ages of 3 to 15 months.
- 5. Li et al. (2004) reported significant differences in the behavioral neurological assessment score in 1 to 3 day-old offspring
