B3240 - Effect of prenatal and early childhood fluoride exposure on cognitive outcomes of children A pilot study - 22/01/2019

B number: 
B3240
Principal applicant name: 
Vida Zohoori | Teesside University (United Kingdom)
Co-applicants: 
Dr Ruth Valentine, Dr Jill McKay, Dr Roy Sanderson, Claire O'Malley, Dr Richard McNally
Title of project: 
Effect of prenatal and early childhood fluoride exposure on cognitive outcomes of children: A pilot study
Proposal summary: 

Some evidence suggests that early exposure to high levels of fluoride may have a negative impact on the cognitive outcomes in children. Given the conflicting findings from previous studies, further research is necessary to understand the effect of fluoride on cognitive development. Our aim is to assess the association of exposure to fluoride during early pregnancy and childhood with offspring cognitive development. We will study mother-child pairs from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) to address the aim of our study. We will estimate fluoride exposure from diet and dental products using the food frequency and oral hygiene questionnaires collected from mothers during pregnancy and from their children when 6, 15 and 24 months old. We will then investigate the link between fluoride exposure and the cognitive outcomes of offspring which were measured at 18 months of age during ALSPAC clinical assessments.

Impact of research: 
This is a pilot study which will generate valuable data for a purposely-designed larger study on the link between fluoride exposure and cognitive development and IQ. However, due to lack of current data on this issue in the UK, the results of this study could have high public health relevance for the UK, providing critical information about the safety of fluoride exposure, especially for sensitive populations such as the pregnant woman, the fetus, and very young child.
Date proposal received: 
Thursday, 17 January, 2019
Date proposal approved: 
Tuesday, 22 January, 2019
Keywords: 
Mental health - Psychology, Psychiatry, Cognition, Cognitive impairment, Computer simulations/modelling/algorithms, Cognition - cognitive function