“Taking these many important concerns together, readers are advised to be very cautious when drawing conclusions about the possible association between fluoride exposure and reduced IQ,” Levy concluded. “This is especially true when fluoride concentrations are low.”
Another controversial study
But the debate over water fluoridation is unlikely to recede any time soon. in second editorial Other researchers published alongside the NTP study praised the analysis and called on health organizations and regulators to re-evaluate fluoridation.
“In a dose-response meta-analysis, the absence of a statistically significant association between fluoridated water below 1.5 mg/L and children’s IQ scores indicates that IQ scores at levels seen in fluoridated areas This does not exonerate fluoride as a potential risk.”The authors note that there are other sources of fluoride, such as toothpaste and food.
The EPA estimates that 40 to 70 percent of people’s fluoride exposure comes from water.
Two of the three authors of the second editorial, Christine Till and Bruce Lanphear, very controversial A 2019 Canadian study suggests that fluoride intake during pregnancy may lower a child’s IQ. The authors even suggested that pregnant people should reduce their fluoride intake. but, the studyA paper also published in JAMA Pediatrics found only an association between maternal fluoride levels and boys’ IQ. There was no association in women.
The study received a lot of backlash, and the blister reaction was published in JAMA Pediatrics. in one replyThe British researchers essentially accused Till et al. of a statistical fishing expedition to find connections.
”[T]Here, there were no significant IQ differences between children from fluoridated and non-fluoridated areas, and no overall association with maternal urinary fluoride (MUFSG). The authors did not address this, instead emphasizing the important sexual interaction, and that the association appeared for boys but not girls. No rationale for this test was provided. Without pre-registration of a study, it is impossible to know whether it was planned in advance. Otherwise, the probability of false positives increases as there are many subgroups for which the result could be shown by chance. ”
Other researchers criticized this Research statistics, Lack of data transparency, Use of maternal urine samplingand The tests they used to assess IQ Children aged 3 and 4.
