Flawed MIREC fluoride and intelligence quotient publications: A failed attempt to undermine community water fluoridation

IF 1.8 3区医学 Q2 DENTISTRY, ORAL SURGERY & MEDICINE

Community dentistry and oral epidemiology Pub Date : 2024-03-25 DOI:10.1111/cdoe.12954

Juliet R. Guichon, Colin Cooper, Andrew Rugg-Gunn, James A. Dickinson

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objective

To assess the evidence presented in a set of articles that use the Canadian Maternal–Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) study database to claim that community water fluoridation (CWF) is associated with harm to foetal and infant cognitive development.

Methods

Critical appraisal of measurements and processes in the MIREC database, and articles derived therefrom. MIREC's cohort is approximately 2000 pregnant women recruited in 10 centres across Canada, 2008–2011, leading to measuring 512 children aged 3–6 years in six cities. Fluoride exposure was measured by city fluoridation status, self-reports and maternal spot urine samples. Intelligence Quotient (IQ) was measured using the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI-III) by different assessors in each city.

Results

MIREC's fluoride and IQ measurements are invalid and therefore cannot support the claim that CWF is associated with IQ decline in children.

Conclusions

The MIREC fluoride-IQ articles' results should be considered unacceptable for legal and policy purposes; other water fluoridation studies and systematic reviews show no effect of fluoridation on cognition.

查看原文本刊更多论文

有缺陷的 MIREC 氟化物和智商出版物：破坏社区水氟化的失败尝试。

目的：评估利用加拿大母婴环境化学品研究（MIREC）数据库声称社区水氟化（CWF）对胎儿和婴儿认知发展有害的文章中所提供的证据：方法：对 MIREC 数据库中的测量结果和过程以及由此得出的文章进行严格评估。MIREC 的队列是 2008-2011 年在加拿大 10 个中心招募的约 2000 名孕妇，并在 6 个城市对 512 名 3-6 岁的儿童进行了测量。通过城市氟化状况、自我报告和母体定点尿样测量氟暴露。智商（IQ）由每个城市的不同评估人员使用韦氏学前和小学智力量表（WPPSI-III）进行测量：结果：MIREC 的氟化物和智商测量结果无效，因此不能支持化武氟化物与儿童智商下降有关的说法：就法律和政策而言，MIREC 的氟化物-智商文章的结果应被视为不可接受；其他氟化水研究和系统综述显示，氟化对认知能力没有影响。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Community dentistry and oral epidemiology 医学-公共卫生、环境卫生与职业卫生

CiteScore

4.40

自引率

8.70%

发文量

审稿时长

6 months

期刊介绍： The aim of Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology is to serve as a forum for scientifically based information in community dentistry, with the intention of continually expanding the knowledge base in the field. The scope is therefore broad, ranging from original studies in epidemiology, behavioral sciences related to dentistry, and health services research through to methodological reports in program planning, implementation and evaluation. Reports dealing with people of all age groups are welcome. The journal encourages manuscripts which present methodologically detailed scientific research findings from original data collection or analysis of existing databases. Preference is given to new findings. Confirmations of previous findings can be of value, but the journal seeks to avoid needless repetition. It also encourages thoughtful, provocative commentaries on subjects ranging from research methods to public policies. Purely descriptive reports are not encouraged, nor are behavioral science reports with only marginal application to dentistry. The journal is published bimonthly.