Fluoridation Side Effects > Mental Retardation Links to Source Documents: Mental Retardation | Fluoridation Notes: For clarity, the above chart shows mental retardation rates per 10,000. Since 1993, fluoridation rates have increased nationwide by more than 10%. "The National Research Council concluded that fluoride is an endocrine disruptor. Endocrine effects include altered thyroid function.... Of particular concern is an inverse correlation between subclinical maternal hypothyroidism and the IQ of the offspring." – Kathleen Thiessen's comments to EPA It has long been known that one of the consequences of thyroid dysfunction from iodine deficiency in mothers is an increased risk of mental retardation in their children. See Andreas Schuld's research documenting more than 100 studies during the last 70 years that demonstrate adverse effects of fluoride on the thyroid gland: "History of the Fluoride/Iodine Antagonism." "Mental Retardation (MR) is the most common developmental disability and ranks first among chronic conditions causing major activity limitations among persons in the United States... In 1993, an estimated 1.5 million persons aged 6-64 years in the United States had MR, and the overall rate of MR was 7.6 cases per 1,000 population." (CDC, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Jan. 26, 1996) "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates lifetime costs in 2003 dollars are expected to total $51.2 billion for people born in 2000 with mental retardation. Neurodevelopmental deficits are estimated to cost society anywhere from $82.5 to $167 billion per year." – Pollution, Toxic Chemicals, and Mental Retardation, American Association on Mental Retardation (www.aamr.org/ehi/media/wingspread_exec_summary.pdf) Even if artificial fluoridation were responsible for only 10 percent of mental retardation, terminating water fluoridation would save Americans about $10 billion a year – plus the suffering associated with this most common developmental disability. Obesity is another consequence of thyroid dysfunction. See a chart of state rates of obesity and fluoridation. What's Lead Got to Do with It? Fluoridation chemicals leach lead into drinking water which increases lead levels in children's blood. (See also References #29 & 30.) "It is estimated that mild mental retardation and cardiovascular outcomes resulting from exposure to lead amount to almost 1% of the global burden of disease." – Environmental Research 94 (2004) 120-133 (http://epa.gov/ncer/childrenscenters/full_text/32009.pdf) The York Review concluded: "The outcomes related to infant mortality, congenital defects and IQ indicate a need for further high quality research..." See also the Fluoride Action Network's database of research into the health effects of fluoride on the thyroid gland and fluoride on the brain, including 23 published studies reporting an association of reduced IQ with high fluoride exposure. "Should Infants Drink Fluoridated Water?" begins at minute 15 of the FAN video, Professional Perspectives on Water Fluoridation. See how fluoride in tap water attacks the delicate lining of an infant's stomach and intestinal tract in this video interview with Dr. A.K. Susheela. Water Fluoridation – Sales Pitch vs. Reality Check is a comprehensive 2008 report by John D. MacArthur whose recent comments to EPA summarize epidemiological data suggesting millions of Americans are suffering adverse health conditions resulting from the failure to properly regulate fluoride in drinking water. This page revised July 19, 2010.