Fluoride lowering childrens IQ?

Government recommends lowering fluoride levels in U.S. drinking water

www.cnn.com...

January 7, 2011
(CNN) -- The federal government is recommending changing the amount of fluoride in drinking water for the first time in 50 years.

The Department of Health and Human Services and Environmental Protection Agency are proposing the change because of an increase in fluorosis -- a condition that causes spotting and streaking on children's teeth.

The government is proposing that the recommended amount of fluoride in drinking water be set at 0.7 milligrams per liter of water. The recommended range has been 0.7 to 1.2 milligrams per liter since 1962. The EPA will determine whether the maximum amount of fluoride allowed in water will also be lowered.

The CDC is lowering the amount of fluoride in the US water supply because of increased cases of fluorosis in children. What is fluorosis?

en.wikipedia.org...

Dental fluorosis is a developmental disturbance of dental enamel caused by excessive exposure to high concentrations of fluoride during tooth development. The risk of fluoride overexposure occurs between the ages of 3 months and 8 years. In its mild forms (which are its most common), fluorosis often appears as unnoticeable, tiny white streaks or specks in the enamel of the tooth. In its most severe form, tooth appearance is marred by discoloration or brown markings. The enamel may be pitted, rough and hard to clean. [1] The spots and stains left by fluorosis are permanent and may darken over time.

Risks factors for dental fluorisis

The US Gov't stands by the findings that the fluoride in the nations drinking water is fine and the only harm of ingesting fluoride is flurorsis which is a result of high levels of fluoride in ones system. So according to the US Gov't the worst case scenario after decades of ingesting too much fluoride is fluorosis. But are there any other studies of the effects of fluoride on children? Studies have been done around the world, China, India, Iran, etc, their findings discovered that high amounts of fluoride leads to flurorsis, thyroid disorders and lowered IQ in children.

Arsenic and Fluoride Exposure in Drinking Water: Children’s IQ and Growth in Shanyin County, Shanxi Province, China
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov...

Environ Health Perspect. 2007 April; 115(4): 643–647.
Published online 2007 January 9. doi: 10.1289/ehp.9270

Background
Recently, in a cross-sectional study of 201 children in Araihazar, Bangladesh, exposure to arsenic (As) in drinking water has been shown to lower the scores on tests that measure children’s intellectual function before and after adjustment for sociodemographic features.

Objectives
We investigated the effects of As and fluoride exposure on children’s intelligence and growth.

Methods
We report the results of a study of 720 children between 8 and 12 years of age in rural villages in Shanyin county, Shanxi province, China. The children were exposed to As at concentrations of 142 ± 106 μg/L (medium-As group) and 190 ± 183 μg/L (high-As group) in drinking water compared with the control group that was exposed to low concentrations of As (2 ± 3 μg/L) and low concentrations of fluoride (0.5 ± 0.2 mg/L). A study group of children exposed to high concentrations of fluoride (8.3 ± 1.9 mg/L) but low concentrations of As (3 ± 3 μg/L) was also included because of the common occurrence of elevated concentrations of fluoride in groundwater in our study area. A standardized IQ (intelligence quotient) test was modified for children in rural China and was based on the classic Raven’s test used to determine the effects of these exposures on children’s intelligence. A standardized measurement procedure for weight, height, chest circumference, and lung capacity was used to determine the effects of these exposures on children’s growth.

Results
The mean IQ scores decreased from 105 ± 15 for the control group, to 101 ± 16 for the medium-As group (p < 0.05), and to 95 ± 17 for the high-As group (p < 0.01). The mean IQ score for the high-fluoride group was 101 ± 16 and significantly different from that of the control group (p < 0.05). Children in the control group were taller than those in the high-fluoride group (p < 0.05); weighed more than the those in the high-As group (p < 0.05); and had higher lung capacity than those in the medium-As group (p < 0.05).

Conclusions
Children’s intelligence and growth can be affected by high concentrations of As or fluoride. The IQ scores of the children in the high-As group were the lowest among the four groups we investigated. It is more significant that high concentrations of As affect children’s intelligence. It indicates that arsenic exposure can affect children’s intelligence and growth.

Effect of fluoride exposure on intelligence in children
md1.csa.com...

Effect of fluoride exposure on intelligence in children
Li, XS | Zhi, JL | Gao, RO
Fluoride. Vol. 28, no. 4, pp. 189-192. 1994.

The intelligence was measured of 907 children aged 8-13 years living in areas which differed in the amount of fluoride present in the environment. The Intelligence Quotient (IQ) of children living in areas with a medium or severe prevalence of fluorosis was lower than that of children living in areas with only slight fluorosis or no fluorosis. The development of intelligence appeared to be adversely affected by fluoride in the areas with a medium or severe prevalence of fluorosis but to a minor extent only in areas with only a slight prevalence of fluorosis. A high fluoride intake was associated with a lower intelligence. No correlation was found between age and intelligence in the areas with a medium and severe prevalence of fluorosis. The effect of exposure to a high level of fluoride on intelligence may occur at an early stage of development of the embryo and infant when the differentiation of brain nerve cells is occurring and development is most rapid.

A STUDY OF THE INTELLECTUAL ABILITY OF 8–14 YEAR-OLD
CHILDREN IN HIGH FLUORIDE, LOW IODINE AREAS
philaleth.info...

[Translated by Julian Brooke and published with the permission of the Chinese Journal of Control of Endemic
Diseases 1989;4(4):251.]

SUMMARY: Wechsler Intelligence Test IQ scores of 160 children, 8–14 years old,
from nine schools in an area of high fluoride and low iodine averaged 64.8 compared
with 85.0 (p

Effect of high fluoride concentration in drinking water on children’s intelligence
journals.tums.ac.ir...

Journal of Dental Medicine
2006;19(2) : 80-86

Background and Aim: Human and animal studies linking fluoride with diminished intelligence have been published. Although adverse effects of high intake of fluoride on intelligence and mental acuity continue to be reported, they are still controversial. The aim of this research was to investigate the relationship between fluoride in drinking water and children's intelligence. Materials and Methods: In this cross sectional study, 41 children were selected from the high fluoride area with 2.5mg/l (ppm) fluoride in the drinking water and 85 children were selected from low fluoride area with 0.4mg/l (ppm) fluoride in the drinking water. The intelligence quotient (IQ) of each child was measured by the Raven's test. The history of illnesses affecting the nervous system, head trauma, birth weight (2.5kg or  2.5kg), residental history, age and sex of children were investigated by questionnaires completed by the children's parents. Data were analyzed by Chi-Square test with p

I remember when i was a kid in grade school and the flouride lady would come on tues and thurs. The sound that the plunger made to dispense the flouride and the smell would send shivers up my spine. I had it once and it gave me a headache and made me ill and vomit. I refused it the following session and was given a detention. I then forged a note from my dad saying that he wished for me to be exempt from flouride. For what it is worth I graduated in the top 15 percent. Could be the best thing I ever did.
Also, I have a 2 yo daughter and she has NEVER had anything that contains added flouride, to thebest off my knowledge. She can count to 20 in3 different languages, spell and write her own name and is learning quite quickly how to read. Her freinds are not where she is not even close. Their moms always think I am nuts. Thats fine give your kid Coke and cookies. Gives my kid a better chance.

Do not take baths: You are soaking in poisons. Do not drink tap water: You will get cancer. Fluoride is good for the teeth in moderation: do not swallow your tooth paste.

So who actually wants flouride in the water? How do they justify it when flouride in toothpaste is direct to teeth? Do they represent people or some businesses stuck with toxic waste? And how other than poinsining people's water and/or the oceans can it be disposed of properly?

The fluoride that is added to the municipal supply is waste from manufacture. Why do we need fluoride in our DRINKING water? I thought toothpaste was supposed to cover dental decay? No fluoride in drinking water!

reply to post by Swills


WOW that is some really great evidence! thanks for sharing

oh boy some of the misconceptions about fluoride still amaze me despite all the topics covering fluoride. In america the maximum limit for fluoride was 4ppm and compare that to the uk which is 1ppm. American water companies kept fluoride at around 2ppm. The risk of Fluoride toxicity rises when it goes above 1ppm. The american Government got it wrong and it is now revising the limit to 1ppm. There is no danger of fluoride being toxic at these levels and the amount of fluoride found in natural sources of water can be higher than 1ppm.

reply to post by minor007


Yeah they got it wrong for 50+ years, haha....

reply to post by Oannes


That is a good argument....most people just ignore that.