A recent study found that exposure to fluoride during the fetus or early childhood stage may weaken the perception of young people.
In the Carolinska Institute at the Carolinska Institute of Sweden, researchers, which was published in the Environmental Health Perspectives, and wrote about the “Yurik Alert” website.
Fluoride is naturally found in the form of fluoride ions in drinking water, but its concentrations are generally low in public water supply. In some countries, such as the United States, Canada, Chile, Australia and Ireland, fluoride is usually added to the municipal water supply of about 0.7 mg per liter to prevent tooth decay.
“Given the health risks, adding fluoride to drinking water is controversial and has been widely discussed in the United States and Canada. Our results support the hypothesis that even relatively low concentrations of fluoride can affect early growth for children,” says Maria Kepler, a assistant professor at the Carolinska Environmental Institute.
The researchers continued 500 mm and their children in the rural areas of Bangladesh, where fluoride is found naturally in drinking water, to investigate the relationship between early fluoride exposure and knowledge capabilities for children. The concentrations are similar to those in many other countries around the world.
Psychologists evaluated the cognitive abilities of children at the age of five and ten, using tests. Exposure to fluoride in mothers and children was identified by measuring concentrations in urine samples, which reflect continuous exposure to all sources, such as drinking water, food and dental care products.
“I would like to confirm that dental care products such as toothpaste is not usually an important source of exposure because they are not intended to swallow. Fluoride in toothpaste is important to prevent tooth decay, but it is important to encourage young people not to swallow toothpaste while brushing teeth.”
Low cognitive abilities
The average fluoride concentration in the Paullauddish urine was 0.63 milligram/L. Increased fluoride concentrations in pregnant women can be linked to low cognitive abilities in their children at the age of five and ten.
Children, who exceeded the percentage of fluoride in their urine, exceeded 0.72 mg/L by the age of ten also had cognitive capabilities less than those who were the percentage of fluoride in their urine less, and the most clear links to verbal thinking skills and the ability to explain and address sensory inputs.
Exceptions associated with weak cognitive growth were less than that obtained at the threshold of the World Health Organization and the current European Union of Fluoride in drinking water, which is 1.5 mg/l.
The researchers did not find any statistical significance between fluoride concentrations in children’s urine at the age of five and their cognitive abilities.
“This may be due to the time of shorter exposure, but also because of the fact that fluoride concentrations in the urine are not equally reliable in younger children due to the greatest differences in the amount of fluoride that are absorbed and stored in the body, especially in the bones,” Dr. Kepler speculates.
More studies are needed
Since it was a monitoring study, conclusive conclusions cannot be extracted on the causes. It is important, according to researchers, to evaluate the total results of many studies. They will now investigate the links in other population groups and create experimental models to identify the potential molecular mechanisms they move.
The researcher continues, “There is a need for more research to create a strong basis for reviewing the health risks of fluoride, drinking water thresholds, foods, dental care products, especially for children … and even small changes in the population levels can have severe consequences for public health.”