Abstract

Background: Fluoridation of drinking water, despite being regarded as one of the top ten public health achievements of the twentieth century, has remained a much debated concept. Various studies on animals and aborted human fetuses have confirmed that excessive fluoride intake during infancy and early childhood, causes a number of irreversible structural and functional changes in the CNS leading to memory, learning and intellectual deficits.

Aim: To compare the IQ levels of school children of two different locations, having different fluoride levels in water, and to establish a relationship between fluoride levels, prevalence of fluorosis and its effect on IQ levels.

Materials and Methods: A cross–sectional study was conducted among 429 children aged 6 – 12 years, selected by stratified random sampling from two different areas with different levels of fluoride in drinking water in and around Lucknow district. Dental fluorosis was measured using Dean’s Fluorosis Index. Intelligence Quotient was measured using Raven’s Coloured Progressive Matrices (1998 edition).

Results: Majority of the fluorosis free children (76.3%) had an IQ grade 2 (definitely above the average). Majority of the children suffering from very mild and mild dental fluorosis were found to have IQ grade 3 (Intellectually average). Children with moderate cases of dental fluorosis were found to have IQ grade 4 (Definitely below average). Only 5 children with severe fluorosis were included in the study and they all were found to have an IQ grade 5. Hence, a trend of increase in the IQ grade (decrease in intellectual capacity) was observed indicating a strong correlation between fluorosis grade and IQ grade.

Conclusion: Findings of this study suggest that the overall IQ of the children exposed to high fluoride levels in drinking water and hence suffering from dental fluorosis were significantly lower than those of the low fluoride area.

 

Print PDF

• Related Studies :

  • Effects of endemic fluoride poisoning on the intellectual development of children in Baotou.

    Our goal was to investigate the effects of endemic fluoride poisoning on the intellectual development of children living in Baotou, Inner Mongolia. Our method was to select random child subjects from endemic fluoride areas in Baotou and use the illustrated version of the Chinese Standardized Raven Test for use with

  • A correlation between serum vitamin, acetylcholinesterase activity and IQ in children with excessive endemic fluoride exposure in Rajasthan, India

    Fluoride  is  widely  distributed  in  nature  and  a  direct  source  of  adverse  health  effects  in  human  populations.  Fluoride poisoning  attributed  by  long-term  exposure  to  high  levels  of  fluoride  [is] called  fluorosis.  The  present  study was  carried  out among  9-14  years  old  school  children  of Dausa  district,  Rajasthan  India.  The  subjects

  • Effect of coal-burning endemic fluorosis on children's physical development and intellectual level

    Objective To investigate the effect of coal-burning endemic fluorosis on children's physical development and intellectual level so as to provide data support for the protection of children's healthy growth in fluorosis areas. Methods Ninety children with coal-burning endemic fluorosis were selected for the study, which were divided into heavy fluorosis area group, middle

  • Systematic Review of Fluoride Exposure and Neurodevelopmental and Cognitive Health Effects.

    BACKGROUND AND AIM: People of all ages are exposed to fluoride from a variety of sources including dental products, drinking water, food, beverages and pharmaceuticals. In some developed countries, fluoride is added to municipal water systems to prevent tooth decay. The National Toxicology Program (NTP) conducted a systematic review of

  • Investigation and Analysis of Children’s IQ and Dental Fluorosis in a High Fluoride Area

    Objective: To understand the relationship of dental fluorosis and IQ among children in a high fluoride area and further study the harm of high fluoride to the human body. Method: High fluoride areas (from drinking water) in Qi County were selected as the site of investigation. The subjects of the study

• Related FAN Content :

  • Fluoride & IQ: 76 Studies

    Note: See the Updated list of fluoride IQ studies at https://fluoridealert.org/researchers/fluoride-iq-studies/the-fluoride-iq-studies/ • As of July 18, 2022, a total of 85 human studies have investigated the relationship between fluoride and human intelligence. • Of these investigations, 76 studies have reported that elevated fluoride exposure is associated with reduced IQ in humans. • The studies

  • Fluoride Affects Learning & Memory in Animals

    An association between elevated fluoride exposure and reduced intelligence has now been observed in 65 IQ studies. Although a link between fluoride and intelligence might initially seem surprising or random, it is actually consistent with a large body of animal research. This animal research includes the following 45 studies (out

  • Fluoride's Direct Effects on Brain: Animal Studies

    The possibility that fluoride ingestion may impair intelligence and other indices of neurological function is supported by a vast body of animal research, including over 40 studies that have investigated fluoride's effects on brain quality in animals. As discussed by the National Research Council, the studies have consistently demonstrated that fluoride, at widely varying concentrations, is toxic to the brain.

  • NRC (2006): Fluoride's Neurotoxicity and Neurobehavioral Effects

    The NRC's analysis on fluoride and the brain.

  • Fluoride's Effect on Fetal Brain

    The human placenta does not prevent the passage of fluoride from a pregnant mother's bloodstream to the fetus. As a result, a fetus can be harmed by fluoride ingested pregnancy. Based on research from China, the fetal brain is one of the organs susceptible to fluoride poisoning. As highlighted by the excerpts