A brand new study published by BMC Pediatrics is lighting the flame of debate concerning the safety of fluoride in drinking water, as the findings seemingly support long-standing concerns as voiced by current Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The study, which has been peer-reviewed, was headed up by two researchers, David A. Geier and Mark R. Geier, examined over 73,000 kids from the state of Florida who had been continuously enrolled in the Medicaid program for the first decade of life. The pair kept tabs on their exposure to fluoridated drinking water and then took a comparison of the rates of tooth decay and neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism, ADHD, intellectual disability, and other delays in development.
“While the study reaffirmed that fluoridation was linked to a modest reduction in tooth decay, it also found that children exposed to fluoridated water were more than five times as likely to be diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder compared to their unexposed peers. That figure—an adjusted odds ratio of 5.575—translates into a 457% increase in the likelihood of an autism diagnosis, a staggering number,” Trending Politics News reported.
Now, it’s important to remember that correlation does not always indicate causation. In other words, while there could be a correlation between the consumption of fluoridated drinking water and autism, that doesn’t mean that is its cause.
It’s also worth mentioning that one reason so many more children seem to have autism these days is because mental health professionals have discovered better ways of detecting it. We know more about autism and ADHD and thus can recognize them easier.
The CDC has long promoted water fluoridation as one of the top public health achievements of the 20th century, citing its effectiveness in reducing cavities across socioeconomic lines. But opponents argue that the benefits come at too great a cost—and that federal agencies have ignored mounting evidence of neurological harm.
In the study, researchers controlled for key factors such as race, gender, lead exposure, and maternal health conditions. They found that even dose-dependent increases in fluoride exposure—starting from birth—were linked to slight increases in ADHD, intellectual disabilities, and developmental delays.
When comparing groups that had long-term fluoride exposure versus those that had none, the differences in outcomes became stark. While the risk of tooth decay was about three times lower in the fluoride-exposed group, the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders—especially autism—was significantly higher.
One of the most interesting aspects about the data of this study is that its findings line up with a growing body of research hailing from nations across the world. Studies from both Canada and Mexico have also revealed some sort of association between the use of prenatal fluoride exposure and lower IQ scores in children.
A meta-analysis dating from 2019 came to the conclusion that fluoride may indeed be a developmental neurotoxin at levels folks previously thought safe for consumption.
“Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral and a form of the chemical element fluorine. It’s commonly found in water, soil, rocks, air, and some foods. Chemically, fluoride refers to compounds that contain the fluoride ion (F⁻). While it’s highly reactive in its pure form, fluoride is typically found bonded with other elements like sodium or calcium, forming compounds such as sodium fluoride or calcium fluoride,” TPN said.
It’s primarily known for the role it plays in dental health. Data shows that fluoride prevents tooth decay by helping to strengthen tooth enamel, which provides extra resistance to acid attacks from both plaque and sugar. Which is why it’s often added to toothpaste and mouthwash and in many places across the country, drinking water.
“Despite its benefits, fluoride has been the subject of growing health concerns, especially with long-term or high-dose exposure. More recently, some studies have linked early-life fluoride exposure—especially during pregnancy—to potential neurodevelopmental issues in children, including lower IQ scores and increased risk for conditions like ADHD or autism,” the article concluded.
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