Community Water Fluoridation and Birth Outcomes

Is community water fluoridation (CWF) associated with changes in birth weight among infants born before and after its introduction in US counties?In this cohort study of 11 479 922 singleton births across 677 counties between 1968 and 1988, aggregated to the county-month level, CWF was not associated with statistically significant changes in birth weight.These findings suggest that concerns about changes in birth weight associated with CWF may be unfounded, underscoring the value of rigorous research designs in evaluating potential adverse effects from CWF.

Corresponding Author: Matthew Neidell, PhD, Department of Health Policy and Management, Columbia University, 722 W 168th St, New York, NY 10032 (mn2191@columbia.edu).

Link to the article in your story

We encourage you to link out to this article in your story using the link below. It includes an access token that will give free access to the article for your readers up to one year after publication. (The link will be live after the article publishes and embargo is lifted.)

Please see the article for additional information, including full author list, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support.

Need more information? Contact us.