Effect of fluoride in drinking water on birth height and weight: An ecological study in Kerman Province, Zarand county, Iran

Abstract

The present study evaluated the association between maternal exposures to drinking water fluoride and birth height and weight in 35 villages and towns in Zarand county, in Iran. Birth height and weight data on 492 infants born during 2013 were obtained from Zarand Central Hospital records. Results from the Pearson’s correlation test showed that there is a nearly strong positive correlation between the babies’ height and the drinking water fluoride (R2=0.479, r=0.69, p<0.001) and a mild positive correlation between the birth weight and the drinking water fluoride (R2=0.196, r=0.44, p<0.001). We found that exposure to fluoride at concentrations higher than the WHO drinking water guideline of a “desirable” upper limit of 1.5 mg/L was not associated with lower birth height and weight and that lower birth height and weight were observed with lower drinking water fluoride concentrations. Because of the importance of this issue, it is reasonable to conduct more studies.