High fluoride exposure in drinking water may negatively affect children's neurodevelopment, according to a study by Harvard University researchers (Environmental Health Perspectives, July 20, 2012).
The systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies through 2011 investigated the effects of increased fluoride exposure and delayed neurobehavioral development.
The researchers identified 27 eligible epidemiological studies with high and reference exposures, end points of IQ scores, or related cognitive function measures with means and variances for the two exposure groups. They estimated the standardized mean difference between exposed and reference groups across all studies using random effects models.
The researchers conducted sensitivity analyses restricted to studies using the same outcome assessment and having drinking water fluoride as the only exposure.
The children in high-fluoride areas had significantly lower IQ scores than those who lived in low-fluoride areas, the study found.
The results support the possibility of an adverse effect of high fluoride exposure on children's neurodevelopment, the researchers concluded.
