Community Water Fluoridation and Birth Outcomes.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

Community water fluoridation (CWF) is a widely implemented public health intervention aimed at preventing dental caries. However, concerns have emerged about potential unintended birth outcomes of fluoride exposure, particularly birth weight, which is a widely accepted summary measure of infant health and has been found to be associated with later-life health and human capital.

Objective

To evaluate the association between prenatal exposure to CWF and birth outcomes.

Design, setting, and participants

This cohort study was conducted using an event-study analysis with a difference-in-differences (DID) approach that exploited the staggered rollout of CWF across US counties from January 1968 to December 1988. The study included birth outcomes from singleton bir

SUBMITTER: Krebs B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12820739 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature