By JONATHON HOWARD
DEBATE around the use of fluoride in drinking water has reignited this week after a Harvard University analysis found a link between brain function and fluoride consumption in children.
The study found that children who live in areas with high fluoridated water have “significantly lower” IQ scores than those who live in significantly lower or naturally fluoridated areas.
The meta-analysis of 27 studies during more than 22 years was funded by the National Institutes of Health.
The report has already prompted the US National Research Council to conclude that adverse effects of high fluoride concentrations in drinking water may be of concern and that additional research was now warranted.
Harvard scientists performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies on increased fluoride exposure in drinking water and neuro-developmental delays.
“We specifically targeted studies carried out in rural China that have not been widely disseminated, thus complementing the studies that have been included in previous reviews and risk assessment reports,” a Harvard University spokesperson said.
“Findings from our meta-analyses suggest an inverse association between high fluoride exposure and children’s intelligence … the results suggest that fluoride may be a developmental neurotoxicant that affects brain development at exposures much below those that can cause toxicity in adults.”
The report comes at a time when the Newman Government has given the call to include fluoride in drinking water to councils – most have opted to continue adding fluoride.
“In conclusion, our results support the possibility of adverse effects of fluoride exposures on children’s neurodevelopment,” the spokesperson said.
“Future research should formally evaluate dose-response relations based on individual-level measures of exposure over time.”
