News Archive

Fluoridating the public water supply has been common practice for nearly 80 years in the U.S. It’s an acclaimed public health intervention that helps prevent cavities. For just as long, some have raised concerns about the practice that can veer from evidence-based to unsubstantiated conspiracy. An analysis by government researchers, published Monday in JAMA Pediatrics, […]

A growing number of jurisdictions are ending water fluoridation — an act long overdue, many parents, scientists, pediatricians, dentists and lawmakers would argue. According to some estimates, this toxic chemical can lower the IQ of children at an exposure level of 1.5 mg/L or above. But even at lower levels, neurotoxicity risk remains. Not to […]

Water fluoridation is widely seen as one of the great public health achievements of the 20th century, credited with substantially reducing tooth decay. But there has been growing controversy among scientists about whether fluoride may be linked to lower I.Q. scores in children. A comprehensive federal analysis of scores of previous studies, published this week […]

In a recent review article in JAMA Pediatrics, researchers systematically analyzed epidemiological studies that investigated the relationship between exposure to fluoride in the prenatal or postnatal period and children’s intelligence quotient (IQ) scores. Existing research appears to indicate that fluoride exposure in urine and drinking water is inversely associated with children’s IQ scores and suggests […]

The debate over fluoride in public water supplies, reignited by figures like Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Donald Trump’s nominee for Health and Human Services secretary, has once again brought this decades-old public health initiative into the spotlight. Fluoridation, celebrated as one of the 20th century’s greatest public health achievements, drastically reduced cavities nationwide. But as […]

by Nicolas Hulscher, MPH The study titled, Fluoride Exposure and Children’s IQ Scores: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, was just published in JAMA Pediatrics: Key Points Question – Is fluoride exposure associated with children’s IQ scores? Findings – Despite differences in exposure and outcome measures and risk of bias across studies, and when using group-level and individual-level exposure estimates, this […]

Once again, there’s a report that questions if there is a link between fluoride in drinking water and cognitive development in kids. The research is a review of 74 other studies that explore how the mineral can have effects on the IQ levels in children. It found that there’s a significant association between high fluoride […]

A controversial new study out Monday in a US medical journal could reignite debate over fluoride’s safety in water, linking higher exposure levels to lower IQ in children. Published in the prestigious Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Pediatrics, it has sparked pushback from some scientists who criticize the study’s methods, defend the mineral’s […]

A comprehensive analysis of 74 studies from ten countries has found that higher fluoride exposure is associated with lower IQ scores in children, with effects varying based on exposure levels. The research, published in JAMA Pediatrics, evaluated data from more than 20,000 children across multiple continents. The study comes amid ongoing discussions about fluoride levels […]

Drinking water treated with fluoride can lower children’s IQ, according to a major review that builds on a growing body of research. The new research looked at 74 other studies exploring how the mineral affects children’s brain development. It found a strong association between higher levels of fluoride in tap water and lower IQ scores […]