Thyroid Damage

In 2006 The National Research Council published the most comprehensive review of the scientific literature fluoride ever under taken. This was a 12 member panel that took three years to review all the known science. They were set up by the National Academby of Science which is the top Science Body in the USA and funded by the US Public Health Service.

In their 517 page publication, Fluoride in Drinking Water, they detail the dose that is would effect the thyroid. (See chapter 8, Effects on the Endocrine System), They found that in humans, effects on thyroid function were associated with fluoride exposures of 0.05-0.13 mg/kg/day when iodine intake was adequate and 0.01-0.03 mg/kg/day when iodine intake was inadequate. Bottle fed babies are getting a dose that is associated with an effect on the thyroid, even when iodine intake is adequate. Add to this, the fact that there are now a number of studies linking high fluoride intake to lowered IQ and that it has been known for quite some time that breast-fed babies generally have higher IQs, fluoridation has to be one of the most cavalier and reckless public policies ever.

Dosage of fluoride for Bottle-fed Babies

Age, weight Bottle/breast fed Fluoride per litre of liquid Daily milk consumption Total fluoride intake Mg fluoride/kg body weight per day
Birth
3.5 kg Bottle 0.8mg 600 ml 0.48mg (0.6 x 0.8) 0.137/kg/day (0.48/3.5)
Breast 0.004mg 600 ml 0.0024mg (0.6 x 0.004) 0.0006mg/kg/day (0.0024/3.5)
6 months
8 kg Bottle 0.8mg 1 litre 0.8mg (1 x 0.8) 0.1/kg/day (0.8/8)
Breast 0.004mg 1 litre 0.004mg (1 x 0.004) 0.0005/kg/day (0.004/8)
(The above estimates are based on the average size and intake of a baby according to Plunket New Zealand.)

According to Plunket statistics, 56% of women exclusively breastfeed in the first five weeks. This drops off to 16% by the seventh month. See Breastfeeding rates news item.

See Fluoride Action Network USA’s comprehensive data on Thyroid and Fluoride.