Prenatal fluoride exposure and autistic behaviors in preschool-aged children: the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) cohort study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder has risen in recent decades. Given the growing evidence that prenatal fluoride exposure may be neurotoxic, we examined associations between prenatal fluoride exposure and parent-reported autistic behaviors in preschool-aged children.

Methods

We studied 453 mother-child pairs using data from the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) study, a prospective Canadian birth cohort. Autistic behaviors were assessed in children at 3 to 4 years using the Social Responsiveness Scale-Second Edition (SRS-2) Preschool Form, where a higher score indicates more autistic behaviors. We estimated prenatal fluoride exposure using three methods: (i) maternal urinary fluoride adjusted for specific gravity (MUF_SG

SUBMITTER: Carty A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12607120 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature