WASHINGTON: A study published on Monday linked consumption of fluoridated tap water during pregnancy to lower IQ scores in infants, a finding at odds with decades of public health messaging extolling the mineral's benefits in reducing cavities.
"We realized that there were major questions about the safety of fluoride, especially for pregnant women and young children," Christine Till, an associate professor at Canada's York University and the paper's senior author told AFP, adding it was important to base decisions on evidence. US and Canadian health authorities recommend capping fluoride concentration at 0.7 milligrams per litre to prevent fluorosis, overexposure to fluoride that leads to mild tooth discoloration.According to the CDC, fluoridated water is supplied to nearly three in four Americans , while Health Canada estimates 39 per cent of its population receives water from fluoridated supplies.
"We've had many moments in history where we got new knowledge and changed decisions: look at thalidomide and look at recommendations for hormone replacement therapy," which was once advised for all menopausal women, she said."The key words in the paper are 'higher levels,'" said Oliver Jones, an environmental chemist at Australia's RMIT University, who noted that fluoride intake appeared to be below one milligram per liter for most people in the study.
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