JAMA Pediatr

Slight drop in children's IQ linked to fluoride exposure

January 8, 2025

Clinical impact: Fluoridated water is associated with a slight decrease in children's IQs, according to this recent review of past studies. While authors say these findings don't suggest changes are needed to current water fluoridation policies, they do emphasize the need for more research on safe exposure limits.

Study details: This systematic review and meta-analysis involved 74 epidemiological studies to assess the relationship between fluoride exposure and children's IQ scores. The studies included 64 cross-sectional and 10 cohort studies, with 52 rated as having a high risk of bias and 22 as having a low risk of bias. Both group-level and individual-level measures of fluoride exposure were analyzed.

Results: Fluoride exposure was inversely associated with children's IQ scores. Specifically, higher fluoride levels in urine samples and drinking water were associated with lower IQ scores. A dose-response relationship was observed, with higher fluoride exposure correlating with greater reductions in IQ. Importantly, the association wasn’t significant at fluoride concentrations commonly used in community water fluoridation systems.

Source:

Taylor KW, et al. (2025, January 6). JAMA Pediatr. Fluoride Exposure and Children's IQ Scores: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39761023/