Study: Fluoridated Water Poses Risks for Pregnant Women

Fluoridated Water Poses Risks for Pregnant Women
Fluoridated Water Poses Risks for Pregnant Women. Credit | Getty images

United States: Toddlers who are exposed to fluoride from their mama ‘s drinking water may be more likely to witness physical and internal health problems latterly in life, according to recent exploration.

Research Findings

The National Institutes of Health in the United States provided funding for the study, which was not intended to establish cause and effect. Nonetheless, scientists think more research should be done on the results.

Study Insights

This study is the first to look into this connection from a U.S. perspective. According to study lead author Ashley Malin, an adjunct professor of epidemiology at the University of Florida,” Our findings are noteworthy, given that the women in this study were exposed to enough low situations of fluoride– situations that are typical of those living in fluoridated regions within North America.” She worked on the study as a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine.

But no bone is championing for the conclusion of fluoridation.

“I don’t think we should be advocating against fluoridating water at this stage. For the dentistry community in particular, it’s widely regarded as one of the greatest public health victories,” study co-author Tracy Bastain told NBC News.

However, our findings do make me pause. “People who are pregnant should most likely be drinking filtered water,” continued Bastain, an associate professor at the Keck School of Medicine’s clinical population and public health sciences.

Fluoride’s Impact on Development

Due of fluoride’s shown ability to prevent childhood cavities, American communities began adding it to their water supplies in the 1940s. Nowadays, tap water in over 75% of American homes contains fluoride.

Nonetheless, new research indicates that consuming fluoridated water during pregnancy may have an impact on the developing foetus. Malin and associates observed

There were 229 mother-child couples in the present study. In order to measure fluoride levels, a sample of each mother’s urine was taken during the third trimester of pregnancy (samples were collected after fasting, to maximize accuracy).

Each child from those pregnancies was evaluated using the Preschool Child Behavior Checklist when they were three years old. The checklist is derived from the social and emotional functioning of toddlers as reported by their parents.

Malin’s team found that children exposed to 0.68 milligrams per liter of fluoride in the womb had 1.83 times higher odds of exhibiting behavioral issues “considered to be clinically significant or borderline clinically significant,” according to a study published May 20 in the journal JAMA Network Open.

In more detail, these problems include somatic complaints like headaches and stomachaches as well as mental health issues like anxiety, “emotional reactivity” (or emotional outbursts), and symptoms that may be associated with autism.

Bastain told NBC News, “It certainly doesn’t mean that the child has autism.” For the kids in the research, “we don’t even have autism diagnosis information,” she said.

Study Details and Outcomes

Malin’s team also noted that the study did not find a connection between fetal fluoride exposure and other behavioral abnormalities including aggression or attention deficits.

The researchers pointed out that there are now no recommendations for pregnant women about whether or not to avoid fluoride.

Malin thinks that may alter in light of research like this one.

In a Keck news release, Malin stated, “There are no known benefits to the fetus from ingesting fluoride.” “Yet, a number of studies carried out in North America indicate that there could be a considerable risk to the developing brain at that time.”

Her team is planning to examine at geographical differences in fluoride exposure and effects as well as potential impacts on the developing brain from fluoride exposure during infancy.

The results may “cause a stir,” but no changes to water systems are now required, according to Dr. Mark Moss, division director of public health dentistry at East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine in Greenville, North Carolina, who spoke with NBC News.

Call for Further Investigation

“This is something that warrants additional investigation,” Moss, who did not participate in the recent study, stated. “However, from a public health perspective, this does not justify pausing fluoridation,” the statement reads.