Ditching Kids' Fluoride Meds: Health Department's Big Move & Controversies
Federal administration intends to discontinue marketing of fluoride treatments for kids - U.S. administration to discontinue sales of fluoride medication for children.
In a shake-up that could stir debate, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has set the wheels in motion to pull prescription fluoride medications for kids from the market. These meds, unlike toothpastes and rinses, are ingested by little ones. And here's the kicker - they've never received FDA approval.
The announcement launches a consultation phase with experts, running until October's end. Health Minister Robert Kennedy Jr., an avid critic of fluoride in products, welcomed this move. During his campaign, he promised to scrap adding fluoride to tap water, a practice initiated in 1945 and long praised by health authorities for preventing cavities. However, there's been a growing worry that excessive fluoride intake in young 'uns could trigger neurological issues.
Over two-thirds of Americans ingest fluoridated water, some 200 million people. But is this practice, hailed as a 20th-century golden achievement, as safe as believed?
The Impact on Tiny Guts
Recent FDA concerns revolve around fluoride's impact on the gut microbiome, particularly in children. Disrupting this critical ecosystem, crucial for digestion, immunity, and overall health, especially during early development, might lead to long-term health issues.
Neurological Woes
Scientific reviews and international studies raise red flags over the link between excessive fluoride exposure and neurological effects in children. These studies, particularly those from countries with higher-than-recommended water fluoride levels, point to connections between high exposure (above 1.5 mg/L) and lower IQ scores in kids.
Other Health Implications
- Acute Toxicity: High doses of fluoride can be lethal (40-80 mg/kg of body weight).
- Chronic Toxicity (Fluorosis): Long-term excessive exposure results in dental and skeletal fluorosis, a treatable condition marked by bone mineral deficiency.
What's Next?
The FDA is currently reviewing fluoride-containing supplements, planning to take action to withdraw them from the market. As of now, it's unclear whether this will lead to a formal ban or voluntary action by manufacturers.
Short Facts
- Gut microbiome: FDA concerns about fluoride's impact on beneficial gut bacteria in children
- Neurological/cognitive effects: Possible connection between excessive fluoride exposure and lower IQ in children
- Dental & skeletal fluorosis: Bone mineral deficiency due to long-term excessive fluoride intake, treatable
- Acute toxicity: Lethal doses at high levels (40-80 mg/kg body weight)
- CDC safe limit: 0.7 mg/L of fluoride in drinking water
The Bottom Line
With concerns about the potential gut microbiome disruption and possible neurological impairment in children at high exposure levels, regulatory agencies are deliberating on the need to reevaluate and possibly remove these products from the market, pending further scientific study. Stay tuned!
[1] FDA Action on Fluoride-Containing Supplements https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-takes-steps-understand-pediatric-fluoride-supplement-use[2] FDA to Remove Prescription Fluoride Supplements for Children https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/20XX/pxx/pxxx-fluoride-supplements.html[3] National Toxicology Program Report on Fluoride https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/results/drafters_report/20XX/fluoride/index.html
- The FDA's recent announcement to pull prescription fluoride medications for kids from the market has sparked a consultation with experts, focusing on the potential impact of fluoride on the gut microbiome, especially in children, and its association with neurological effects.
- The FDA's review of fluoride-containing supplements raises questions about acute and chronic toxicity, including the risks of dental and skeletal fluorosis due to long-term excessive exposure, as well as neurological concerns linked to lower IQ scores in children exposed to high levels of fluoride.
