Scientists have issued a warning that unfiltered tap water may contain potentially harmful levels of fluoride for a foetus.
In a study published in the journal JAMA Network Open, researchers analysed 229 mothers and their children to explore whether women who ingested fluoride during their pregnancy had influenced their child’s social and emotional functioning.
“Our results showed that higher fluoride levels in mother’s urine were associated with significantly increased neurodevelopmental problems in their three-year-old children, especially for internalising problems like depression and anxiety,” Tracy Bastain, the author of the study, told Newsweek.
“These results are very concerning from a public health perspective, given that the majority of US communities have fluoridated water.”
The study, conducted in Southern California, has raised concerns over the United States Public Health Service’s policy that public water supplies contain fluoride to help prevent tooth decay.
According to the CDC, about three in four Americans exclusively have tap water with fluoride in their homes, which has reduced dental caries in children and adults by an estimated 25 percent.
However, the study shows that a 0.68 milligram per liter increase in pregnant individuals being exposed to fluoride was linked to almost doubling the risk of their child developing neurobehavioral problems, including emotional reactivity, headaches, anxiety and symptoms linked to autism.
Despite its efficiency in bettering dental hygiene, fluoride has been associated with brain development issues in the past.
“In experimental studies, fluoride has shown to cause biochemical changes in brain cells and increased inflammatory reactions even at low doses,” Bastain said. “Effects have also been seen on learning and memory in studies in rats”, Bastain said.
“This is all critically important for pregnant persons, because studies have shown that fluoride can cross the placenta and the blood-brain barrier, which can harm the developing brain of the foetus.”
In order to avoid complications, Bastain recommends pregnant individuals drink filtered water, which can easily be done with a “table-top pitcher filter”.
Bastain also reassured expecting parents that while fluoride was also present in toothpaste, it was not considered a health risk to the foetus as it is not generally ingested.
