A new study from the Keck School of Medicine at USC has revealed that higher fluoride levels during pregnancy correlate with an increased risk of neurobehavioral issues in children at age three. This research supports previous findings linking prenatal fluoride exposure to lower IQ and emphasizes the need for policy reviews concerning fluoride consumption during pregnancy.carried out the first study in the U.S.
“This is the first U.S.-based study to examine this association. Our findings are noteworthy, given that the women in this study were exposed to pretty low levels of fluoride—levels that are typical of those living in fluoridated regions within North America,” said Ashley Malin, PhD, an assistant professor of epidemiology at the’s College of Public Health and Health Professions and College of Medicine and lead author of the present study.
Children exposed to an additional 0.68 milligrams per liter of fluoride in the womb were 1.83 times more likely to show behavioral problems considered to be clinically significant or borderline clinically significant. Specifically, children exposed to more fluoride had more problems with emotional reactivity, somatic complaints , anxiety, and symptoms linked to autism.