THIS IS THE FULL CONSENSUS STATEMENT DISCUSSING THE REVIEW'S FINDINGS ON
FLUORIDE. IN MY OPINION, THIS IS OF GREAT INTEREST TO ALL THOSE WITH ANY
NEUROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AS WELL AS RESPIRATORY CONDITIONS. BUT IT SEEMS THAT MANY
BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS ARE DEPENDENT ON THE BRAIN; JUST FOR EXAMPLE, THE
ENDOCRINE, IMMUNE AND REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEMS WHICH INCLUDES BONE FORMATION AS WELL AS
DEVELOPEMENT ETC.
BLESSINGS
SHAN
FLUORIDE: A THREAT TO THE BRAIN
ON FEBRUARY 20TH, A DISTINGUISHED PANEL OF EXPERTS CONVENED BY THE
_INSTITUTE OF CHILDREN'S ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH_
(HTTP://SALSA.DEMOCRACYINACTION.ORG/DIA/TRACK.JSP?V=2&C=HDEUVZLQKBSO0S9OT6CSFVWL8CN5Y/88) RELEASED A _CONSENSUS
STATEMENT_
(HTTP://SALSA.DEMOCRACYINACTION.ORG/DIA/TRACK.JSP?V=2&C=Q6/CDEK1DNO5TF6IICU3TJ7WSQ+6GZIW) SUMMARIZING "THE LATEST SCIENCE ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL
CONTAMINANTS ASSOCIATED WITH NEURODEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS, SUCH AS LEARNING
DISABILITIES, AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER, ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER
(ADHD), INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES AND DEVELOPMENTAL DELAYS." FLUORIDE WAS ONE
OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINANTS REVIEWED BY THE SCIENTISTS. ACCORDING TO
THE REPORT:
"EXCESSIVE FLUORIDE INGESTION IS KNOWN TO LOWER THYROID HORMONE LEVELS,
WHICH IS PARTICULARLY CRITICAL FOR WOMEN WITH SUBCLINICAL HYPOTHYROIDISM:
DECREASED MATERNAL THYROID LEVELS ADVERSELY AFFECT FETAL NEURODEVELOPMENT. IN
ADDITION, A STUDY IN CHINA REPORTED DECREASED CHILD IQ LEVELS ASSOCIATED WITH
FLUORIDE IN DRINKING WATER. THE QUESTION IS WHAT LEVEL OF EXPOSURE RESULTS IN
HARMFUL EFFECTS TO CHILDREN. THE PRIMARY CONCERN IS THAT MULTIPLE ROUTES OF
EXPOSURE, FROM DRINKING WATER, FOOD AND DENTAL CARE PRODUCTS, MAY RESULT IN A
HIGH ENOUGH CUMULATIVE EXPOSURE TO FLUORIDE TO CAUSE DEVELOPMENTAL EFFECTS... IT
IS NOT CLEAR THAT THE BENEFITS OF ADDING FLUORIDE TO DRINKING WATER OUTWEIGH
RISKS OF NEURODEVELOPMENT OR OTHER EFFECTS SUCH AS DENTAL FLUOROSIS."
SCIENTIFIC CONSENSUS STATEMENT ON ENVIRONMENTAL AGENTS
ASSOCIATED WITH NEURODEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS
_HTTP://WWW.FLUORIDEALERT.ORG/SCIENTIFIC.CONSENSUS.NOV.2007.PDF_
(HTTP://WWW.FLUORIDEALERT.ORG/SCIENTIFIC.CONSENSUS.NOV.2007.PDF)
[ EXTRACT ]
THIS CONSENSUS STATEMENT OUTLINES THE CURRENT SCIENTIFIC UNDERSTANDING OF
THE LINKS BETWEEN ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS AND LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENTAL
DISABILITIES.
THOUGH MANY OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINANTS DISCUSSED IN THIS DOCUMENT CAN
ALSO UNDERMINE THE HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT OF OTHER BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS IN THE
BODY, SUCH AS THE REPRODUCTIVE, ENDOCRINE AND IMMUNE SYSTEMS, THIS CONSENSUS
STATEMENT IS FOCUSED SOLELY ON THE DEVELOPING BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM. THIS
DISTINCTION IS SOMEWHAT ARTIFICIAL SINCE THE IMPACT OF TOXICANTS UPON THESE
OTHER SYSTEMIC PROCESSES MAY HAVE EFFECTS THAT FEED BACK AND IMPACT BRAIN
FUNCTION. ALTHOUGH IT IS OFTEN BELIEVED THAT ENDOCRINE FUNCTION, FOR EXAMPLE, IS
INDEPENDENT OF BRAIN DEVELOPMENT, IT IS NOW CLEAR THAT THEY ARE SO CLOSELY
ENTWINED THAT ENDOCRINE TOXICANTS ARE, IN ESSENCE, NEURODEVELOPMENTAL TOXICANTS.
OTHER NEUROLOGICALLY BASED DISORDERS HAVE ALSO BEEN SHOWN TO HAVE
ENVIRONMENTAL CONTRIBUTORS, ESPECIALLY PARKINSON€™S DISEASE (1-4), MENTAL ILLNESS
INCLUDING SCHIZOPHRENIA (5), CEREBRAL PALSY (6) AND EPILEPSY. THIS DOCUMENT FOCUSES
ON LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS AND DOES NOT ADDRESS THESE
CONDITIONS.
CONTENTS
1 INTRODUCTION ..................................................... 3
1.1 PURPOSES OF THE DOCUMENT......................... 3
1.2 SCOPE AND INCIDENCE OF DISORDERS ............. 3
1.2.1 DEFINITIONS OF LDDS.......................... 4
1.2.2 OVERVIEW OF BRAIN DEVELOPMENT ........ 4
1.2.3 INCIDENCE............................................ 4
1.2.4 IMPACTS ON INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES AND
SOCIETY......................................................... 5
2 HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE...................................... 5
3 ENVIRONMENTAL CONTRIBUTORS TO DISORDERS........ 7
3.1 TIMING OF EXPOSURE................................... 7
3.2 BIOACCUMULATION AND MIXTURES................. 7
3.3 MECHANISMS OF DISRUPTION ........................ 8
3.4 VARIABLE SENSITIVITY................................... 8
3.5 EVIDENCE OF EXPOSURES (BODY BURDEN) ...... 8
3.6 OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS..................... 8
3.6.1 PHARMACEUTICALS................................. 9
3.6.2 GENETIC FACTORS................................... 9
3.6.3 ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE:
SOCIOECONOMICS, NUTRITION AND STRESS .......... 9
4 STATUS OF EVIDENCE ON ENVIRONMENTAL AGENTS. 9
4.1 HUMAN AND ANIMAL ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING
AND DEVELOPMENT............................................. 9
4.2 HIGH-CONFIDENCE CONCLUSIONS ................. 10
4.2.1 ALCOHOL ............................................ 11
4.2.2 LEAD................................................. 11
4.2.3 MERCURY ..........