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# Breaking news:  Fluoride stunts neurological development in children
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/fluoride_iq_0908120209/
- Published: 2012-09-08T15:08:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T16:15:21.000Z
- Description: Harvard researchers pooled 27 epidemiological studies and reported at an ISEE conference that children in high-fluoride areas scored significantly lower on IQ tests than those in low-fluoride areas, a difference of 0.45 point, concluding fluoride adversely affects children's neurodevelopment.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Environment, Health News, #vivvo-import

By David Liu, PHD

Saturday Sept 8, 2012 ([foodconsumer.org](http://www.foodconsumer.org/)) -- Many food consumers and lawmakers believe fluoridation of drinking water provides dental benefits for all people. A new review study by Harvard researchers confirm that increased fluoride exposure lowers intellectual quotient (IQ) in children to say the least.

Anna L Choi of Harvard School of Public Health and colleagues conducted a meta-analysis of 27 previous studies and reported at ISEE Conference - August 26 to 30, 2012 - Columbia, South Carolina that fluoride causes an adverse effect on children's neurodevelopment.

For the review, the researchers searched a number of major research databases including MEDLINE, EMBASE, Water Resources Abstracts and TOXNET databases and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure database on fluoride neurotoxicity through 2011 for eligible studies and identified 27 epidemiological studies suitable for the meta-analysis.

The major findings: children who were exposed to fluoride, compared to those who were not, had their IQ (intellectual quotient) lowered by 0.45 point. That is, the researchers said children in high fluoride area has significantly lowered IQ score compared to those who lived in low fluoride areas.

The researchers concluded their study confirms the notion of an adverse effect of fluoride on children's intellectual quotient or neurobehavioral development.