Can fluoride in drinking water really lower children's IQ?

No robust evidence linking fluoridation levels here to adverse health effects: MOH

- Lee Li Ying

A recent controversial US government study has found that children exposed to higher fluoride levels have lower IQ levels, reigniting debate over whether the widespread practice of adding the cavity-reducing mineral to drinking water should continue.

Published in the reputable Journal of the American Medical Association Paediatrics, the study is so contentious that two editorials with opposing viewpoints were released alongside it.

The report comes amid remarks by Mr Robert F. Kennedy Jr, US President Donald Trump's pick for US health and human services secretary, that fluoride in water causes numerous health problems, including cancer.

But critics have pushed back on such assertions, pointing out that conspiracy theories around fluoride have existed since almost as early as when the mineral was first added to public water supplies in the US in 1945.

What is indisputable is the public health benefits of adding fluoride to water supplies, also known as water fluoridation. It is widely accepted as the most cost-effective way to prevent tooth decay in the population.

Many countries and jurisdictions such as Australia, Hong Kong, Ireland, Malaysia and Britain add fluoride to their water sources for the oral health of their populations.

Singapore has been adding fluoride to its drinking water since 1954. In response to queries on the concerns raised in the study, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said it is aware of the publication.

MOH said it regularly reviews the need for and optimal level of fluoridation of drinking water, based on the latest scientific evidence.