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In utero exposure to fluoride and cognitive development delay in infants.Abstract
- Highlights
- Enrolled 65 mother-baby pairs in an endemic hydrofluorosis area in Mexico.
- Pregnant women from endemic hydrofluorosis areas had high levels of fluoride in urine.
- Maternal exposure to Fluoride was negatively associated with cognitive functions in infants.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between in utero exposure to fluoride (F) and Mental and Psychomotor Development (MDI and PDI) evaluated through the Bayley Scale of Infant Development II (BSDI-II) in infants. The sample included 65 mother-infant pairs. Environmental exposure to F was quantified in tap and bottled water samples and F in maternal urine was the biological exposure indicator; samples were collected during the 1st, 2nd and 3rd trimester of pregnancy. The mean values of F in tap water for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd trimester were 2.6±1.1mg/l, 3.1±1.1mg/l and 3.7±1.0mg/l respectively; above to 80% of the samples exceeded the reference value of 1.5mg/l (NOM-127-SSA1-1994). Regarding F in maternal urine, mean values were 1.9±1.0mg/l, 2.0±1.1mg/l and 2.7±1.1mg/l for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd trimester respectively. The infants with MDI and PDI scores less than 85 points were 38.5% and 20.9% respectively. After adjusting for potential confounding factors (gestational age, age of child, marginalization index and type of water for consumption), the MDI showed an inverse association with F levels in maternal urine for the first (B=-19.05, p=0.04) and second trimester (B=-19.34, p=0.01). Our data suggests that cognitive alterations in children born from exposed mothers to F could start in early prenatal stages of life.
Section snippets
Participants and recruitment
Authorizations from the authorities of the Ministry of Health (SSA) of the selected municipalities included for the study were obtained. The project protocol was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the bioethics committees of the SSA from the municipalities. Follow up was conducted in pregnant women recruited from 2013 to 2014 who received prenatal care in health centers located in Durango City and Lagos de Moreno, Jalisco, Mexico. Both are endemic…
Results
Table 1 shows the comparison of general characteristics of the pregnant women between participants in the biological monitoring and the women who agreed to their child’s cognitive evaluation. The average age of the participants was 22.4 ± 4.0, in education 41.5% of the participants had completed high school. Regarding marital status, 69.7% of the participants were married, 70.7% of the participants reported being housewives, and for 44.6% of the participants it was their first birth…
Discussion
The objective of this research was to evaluate the influence of in utero exposure to F on Mental and Psychomotor Development evaluated through the BSDI II in Mexican children born from mothers living in endemic hydrofluorosis areas. The proportion of children with values of MDI less than minus one standard deviation (SD) was 38.5%; scores under 85 points are considered as an indicator of possible developmental delay. This test evaluates psychological processes such as attention, memory, sensory…
Conclusion
Due the importance of cognitive development in children and the amount of people (millions) exposed daily; more studies need to be conducted to support the in utero exposure of F and effects in young children. Considering previous data supporting the potential neurotoxicity of F in school-age children, preventive measures in affected communities should be implemented (communication programs, treatments water methods and a continuous monitoring to guarantee water quality) to decrease the F…
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0161813X16302571?via%3Dihub
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