Urinary Fluoride in Pregnant Women and Prenatal Fluoride Exposure and Mental Development Index (MDI) in 1-3 Year Old Infants from Mexico City, Mexico

Background: Recent studies report an inverse association between fluoride exposure and IQ in children, but few have individual measures of exposure, measures of exposure during development or a prospective design. Aims: This project utilizes the Early Life Exposures in Mexico to Environmental Toxicants (ELEMENT) cohort and associated archived samples and data to study patterns of fluoride exposure during pregnancy and their association with cognitive development. Methods: Fluoride levels from archived maternal trimester 1 (N=471), 2 (N=441) and 3(N=261) urines were measured. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was calculated for samples across trimesters. Mental Development Index (MDI) scores at ages 1, 2 and 3 were derived using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-II test. Generalized linear models were used to model the association between average urinary fluoride, defined as the mean urinary fluoride across trimesters, and MDI at ages 1 (N=373), 2 (N=424), and 3 (N=380). Linear mixed model...