Fluoride Proponents Dismiss All Accusations of Maternal Fluoride Leading to Lower IQ, Saying, “It Is Only One Study”

• A government-funded study indicated that maternal use of fluoride during pregnant can lower IQ.
• Critics have falsely claimed that there are thousands of studies to show that fluoride is safe.

Every expectant mother wants to do the best for their child, and the food and supplements that they put into their body plays a substantial role. Fluoride is commonly found in toothpaste and other products, which are commonly used by pregnant women to maintain the health of their teeth. In a new study to investigate the use of this substance, which was funded by the government, it appears that higher maternal fluoride levels correlate with lower IQs for their offspring.

When it comes to giving a child their best shot at life, the last thing that a mother would want to do is impair their IQ. However, there are a surprising number of fluoridation proponents that are already dismissing this finding, published in JAMA Pediatrics, saying that “it is only one study.” While that article may only specifically reference one study, there have been over 50 studies to already link fluoride exposure in-utero to a lowered IQ, which includes another government-funded study.

Critics of these studies say that there’s no proof that the cause of the lowered IQ is related to fluoride, which is true. No epidemiological study has this ability. However, to support the JAMA study’s plausibility, there have been over 400 animal and cell studies that have come to the same conclusion.

Another way that critics are attacking the results of the study are by claiming that there should be no concern over the loss of three to four IQ points. However, this number is simply the predicted average drop for the population as a whole. With this difference, there could ultimately be a massive drop in highly intelligent children, while the mentally handicapped children could increase in number.

Even though claims on this study say otherwise, the mothers involved didn’t have exposure to high levels of fluoride. Furthermore, the study still performed control for lead, mercury, manganese, perfluoro-octanoic acid, and urinary arsenic.

There are even claims that thousands of studies have been performed on fluoridation to show that it is safe, which is false. In reality, there has been very limited research performed on communities with high fluoridation levels, and public health information has been sorely lacking in these areas.

The director of the Fluoride Action Network (FAN), Paul Connett, PhD, stated,

“It is sickening to hear promoters tout the benefits of swallowing fluoride when confronted with such serious evidence of harm. You can repair a child's tooth, but you can't repair a child's brain if it is harmed during fetal development.”

Connett added that there is no issue with asking for more studies. However, the only actual course of action that can be taken at the moment is to “place a moratorium on fluoridation” until this issue can be handled appropriately. In the meantime, Connett advises that any woman who is or may be pregnant would be better off by “avoid[ing] fluoride as much as they can.”

To view the entire response that Connett has issued on the criticisms of the recent JAMA check the video below