Fluoride and Children

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Is fluoridated water safe in pregnancy and for babies and young children?

"My own position is simple. If fluoridated water prevented dental caries 100%, but high-quality evidence ultimately demonstrated that the prenatal exposure necessary to achieve that benefit caused irreversible neurodevelopmental injury, I would consider that trade unacceptable. The brain wins… a recommended concentration does not tell us how much an individual swallows, retains, or receives from other sources… kidneys are a major route of fluoride elimination, so impaired renal function can also affect retention."

- Barbara Tritz, RDH, BSDATE, MSB, HIAOMT in Fluoride & the Developing Brain, September 20, 2026 and

Fluoride in Your Water: Who is Measuring Your Dose?, October 2, 2026

Exposure to fluoride during the most sensitive window of brain development can lead to statistically significant harm to the brain and nervous system, manifested by lower IQ scores and behavioural problems. It can also affect early gross motor skills, delaying basic physical milestones like crawling and balancing:

Fluoride exposure during third-trimester pregnancy and infancy is linked to increased risk of childhood neurobehavioral impacts
Bottle-fed infants fed formula mixed with fluoridated tap water (0.7 mg/L) can receive up to 200 times more fluoride than breastfed infants
For pregnant mothers, fluoridated water is associated with a higher risk of low thyroid function

Numerous major new studies flag serious risks to the brains and nervous systems of developing babies, at levels far lower than what laws currently allow. Here are just a few:

Fluoridated water lowered the IQ of some babies: A major Canadian study published in the journal Environment International in 2021 followed 398 mother-child pairs. The study examined the association between fluoride exposure in infancy and intellectual ability in children who lived in fluoridated or non-fluoridated cities in Canada. It found that a 0.5 mg increase in fluoride intake from infant formula corresponded to an 8.8-point decrement in non-verbal intelligence (PIQ) .

Canadian government reports more studies showing fluoridation may reduce IQ: In 2023, Health Canada commissioned an independent systematic review of the health effects of fluoride in drinking water. The summary report noted a growing body of evidence suggesting that fluoride in drinking water may be associated with reduced IQ scores in children at fluoride levels that may be found in Canadian drinking water.

US government report finds fluoridation may reduce IQ: The U.S. National Toxicology Program (NTP) produced a comprehensive 2024 review of published scientific literature on the association between fluoride exposure and neurodevelopment and cognition. It found, with moderate confidence, consistent associations of lower IQ in children with fluoride exposures in drinking water at concentrations exceeding 1.5 mg/L. The review also noted several high-quality datasets showing a clear, shifting baseline of risk starting right around standard municipal fluoridation levels (0.7 mg/L)

Fluoridated water reduced some babies' ability to crawl: The first US study on prenatal fluoride exposure and infant neurodevelopment was published in the journal Environment Research in 2026. It tracked tracked 346 mother-child pairs at 6, 9, 12, and 18 months old. The researchers found associations between third-trimester fluoride exposure and early gross motor development.

Fluoridated water increased some toddlers' risk of ADHD: A study published in the journal JAMA in 2024 and funded in part by the National Institutes of Health, analyzed 229 mother-child pairs, collecting data on fluoride levels during pregnancy and child behavior at age three. The researchers found that a 0.68 milligram per liter increase in fluoride exposure was associated with nearly double the chance of a child showing neurobehavioral problems in a range considered close to or at a level to meet the criteria for clinical diagnosis.

STUDY TRACKER: 89 Studies reporting Lowered IQ

EXPLAINER: How fluoride may affect a developing baby's brain and nervous system

Fluoride can easily cross the placenta during pregnancy. Researchers have identified several possible ways this could interfere with the development of motor skills, such as coordination and movement:

Oxidative stress: Fluoride may contribute to damage to cells, including brain cells, making it harder for them to survive and function normally.
Disrupted brain signalling: Excessive stimulation of nerve cells, known as excitotoxicity, may damage neurons and interfere with the connections between them.
Thyroid hormone disruption: Thyroid hormones are essential for the development of the brain and nervous system, including the nerve pathways that control movement. Fluoride and iodine compete for uptake into the thyroid gland, leading to reduced iodine absorption.
Impaired nerve development: These effects may interfere with the formation of connections between nerve cells and the protective coating around nerve fibres, both of which are important for normal motor development.
Changes in brain structure and chemistry: Animal studies suggest that fluoride exposure can alter brain structure, reduce connections between nerve cells, and affect chemical messengers involved in movement, coordination, and thinking.

But, doesn't Health Canada say fluoride is safe?

Yes and no. In spite of mounting scientific research showing the contrary, Health Canada maintains that "the weight of evidence from all currently available studies does not support a link between exposure to fluoride in drinking water at 1.5 mg/L and any adverse health effects."

Yet, elsewhere on its site, Health Canada acknowledges: "A growing body of evidence suggests that fluoride in drinking water may be associated with reduced IQ scores in children at fluoride levels that may be found in Canadian drinking water."

Another contradiction is that while Health Canada recommends water fluoridation, it doesn't test it for safety or regulate it. It doesn't monitor fluoride for purity or sanitary conditions.

Instead, Health Canada relies on the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) to say it is safe. However, the NSF does not test the product or fluoridated water for long-term safety, and it does not take legal responsibility for the safety of its products.

WATCH: NSF Unable To Vouch For The Safety Of Fluoridation Chemicals:

Disclaimers by NSF International

Shouldn't Health Canada be required to demonstrate that fluoride is safe, before allowing its addition to the water?

Yet, no one has toxicology data on this chemical

No one has been able to prove fluoride is safe - not cities, not the provinces, and not the federal government.

Does anybody know HOW MUCH fluoride is safe for children and infants?

Health Canada has not set a safe low dose. For that matter, neither has anyone else in the world.

No "Margin of Safety"

With toxic chemicals, dosages are normally adjusted so the most sensitive people are protected from harm, usually by a factor of 5 or 10. This difference in dosage is called a "margin of safety." In the case of fluoridation, there is no margin of safety.

Watch: 3 minute explainer of the term "margin of safety":

Scientists agree that fluoride is harmful at 1.5 mg/L.

To make the dose safe, using a margin of safety of 5 or 10, we would need fluoridated water at 0.3 mg/L or 0.15 mg/L.
Yet Canadian cities that fluoridate municipal water use a concentration of 0.7 mg/L.

Current levels (0.7 mg/L) provide an insufficient margin of safety relative to levels where harm is clearly documented.

THE PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE

When peer-reviewed science indicates a potential for irreversible brain damage in children, the burden of proof rests on the government to prove the practice is safe.

To date, no study has proven that fluoride exposure levels in municipal water are safe for infants.

Fluoride's predominant benefit to teeth is topical

In sworn testimony, Casey Hannan, then Director of CDC's Division of Oral Health, acknowledged that fluoride's predominant benefit to teeth comes from topical contact with the outside of the teeth.

Results from studies conducted after 1975 suggest that the initiation of water fluoridation may lead to slightly less tooth decay in children’s baby teeth. Analysis of these studies, covering a total of 2,908 children in the UK and Australia, estimates that fluoridation may lead to an average of 0.24 fewer decayed baby teeth per child. However, the estimate of effect comes with considerable uncertainty.

By comparison, an analysis of studies with 5,708 children conducted in 1975 or earlier estimated that fluoridation reduced the number of decayed baby teeth, on average by 2.1 per child. For permanent teeth, the contemporary evidence was considered very uncertain.

What Can Parents Do?

Are you pregnant or raising young children? If you're concerned about fluoridated water, you can avoid fluoride by drinking spring water, reverse osmosis water or specially-filtered water, or when mixing infant formula.

Please note that most standard carbon filters or fridge filters do not remove fluoride from tap water.

Brita's website states that fluoride levels typically remain unchanged after filtration.

How can parents protect their children's teeth from cavities?

Hydroxyapatite is an ideal substitute for fluoride in toothpaste and mouthwash tailored for young children. Many studies now show that hydroxyapatite is safe and effective as an anti-caries active ingredient in the absence of fluoride.

What is Hydroxyapatite toothpaste?

Hydroxyapatite (HAP) toothpaste is a dental product that contains manufactured calcium phosphate. Calcium and phosphate are minerals that form 95% of tooth enamel and 70% of bones. NASA developed HAP toothpaste in the 1970s. In gravity-free conditions, astronauts were losing mineral content from their teeth. HAP toothpaste remineralized their teeth, depositing calcium phosphate back onto them.

A Japanese company bought the rights to synthetic HAP from NASA in 1970 and made the first commercially available hydroxyapatite toothpaste. In 1993, the Japanese government approved hydroxyapatite toothpaste as an anti-cavity product. Since then, it has become readily available around the world.

Other strategies to keep teeth cavity-free

1) Change what (and how) they drink

Ban bedtime bottles: Never put a baby or toddler to bed with a bottle of milk, formula, juice, or sweetened liquids. The pooling sugars will feed bacteria all night, causing "baby bottle tooth decay".

Ditch the juice: Fruit juices and fruit drinks are heavily loaded with sugar. Stick to water between meals and reserve milk or small portions of juice strictly for mealtimes.

Transition to an open cup: Move your child away from bottles and onto an open cup during early development to prevent constant sugar bathing of the front teeth.

2) Limit sticky and starchy snacks

Bacteria thrive on carbohydrates and sugars. While candy is an obvious culprit, gummy vitamins, fruit snacks, fruit leather, and raisins stick to the chewing surfaces of the molars. Opt for tooth-friendly snacks like cheese, yogurt, and fresh vegetables, which help buffer acid.