In this guide

Annex A to TOX/2026/12 - Fluoridation literature search proposal development

Key search 3 - Targeted search on prospective human cohort studies on developmental neurotoxicity (PubMed)

Annex A to TOX/2026/12

Last updated: 24 March 2026

In this guide

This is a paper for discussion. This does not represent the views of the Committee and should not be cited.

23.             Literature search date: 11th January 2024.

24.             Search concept: Fluorides AND Neurodevelopment AND Humans NOT Animals NOT Perfluoride (see below for further details).

25.             Chemical search terms (fluorides concept): see Key search 1.

26.             Neurodevelopment concept: see Key search 1 (neurotoxicity and developmental neurotoxicity).

27.             Humans concept: ((Aged[tiab] OR Baby[tiab] OR Babies[tiab] OR Boy[tiab] OR Boys[tiab] OR Child*[tiab] OR cohort[tiab] OR cohorts [tiab] OR Elder*[tiab] OR Girl[tiab] OR Girls[tiab] OR Human*[tiab] OR "in vivo"[tiab] OR Inpatient*[tiab] OR Man[tiab] OR Men[tiab] OR "middle age"[tiab] OR Newborn*[tiab] OR "new born*"[tiab] OR Outpatient*[tiab] OR Participant*[tiab] OR Patient*[tiab] OR Pediatric*[tiab] OR Paediatric*[tiab] OR Person*[tiab] OR People[tiab] OR Preschool*[tiab] OR "Research subject"[tiab] OR "pre-school"[tiab] OR Schoolchild*[tiab] OR Seniors[tiab] OR Student*[tiab] OR Teen[tiab] OR Teenager*[tiab] OR Teens[tiab] OR Toddler*[tiab] OR Volunteer*[tiab] OR Woman[tiab] OR Women[tiab]) NOT medline[sb]) OR "Humans"[Mesh].

28.             Animals concept (exclusion, covered using NOT operator): (((Cavia[ti] OR Cricetinae[ti] OR Cricetus[ti] OR "guinea pig"[ti] OR "guinea pigs"[ti] OR Hamster[ti] OR Mice[ti] OR Mouse[ti] OR Muridae[ti] OR Murinae[ti] OR Murine[ti] OR Mus[ti] OR Rat[ti] OR Rats[ti] OR Rattus[ti] OR Rodent*[ti] OR Felis[ti] OR Cat[ti] OR Cats[ti] OR Catus[ti] OR Dog[ti] OR Dogs[ti] OR Canine[ti] OR Canines[ti] OR Canis[ti] OR Mink[ti] OR Minks[ti] OR Mustela*[ti] OR Pig[ti] OR Pigs[ti] OR Swine[ti] OR "sus scrofa"[ti] OR "sus domestica"[ti] OR "sus domesticus"[ti] OR pork[ti] OR porks[ti] OR porcine[ti] OR suidae[ti] OR "sow"[ti] OR "sows"[ti] OR barrow[ti] OR boar[ti] OR boars[ti] OR hog[ti] OR hogs[ti] OR gilt[ti] OR gilts[ti] OR Piglet*[ti] OR Monkey[ti] OR Monkeys[ti] OR Nomascus[ti] OR primate[ti] OR animal*[ti] OR ruminant[ti] OR livestock[ti] OR ruminants[ti] OR cattle[ti] OR heifer[ti] OR bullock[ti] OR steer[ti] OR steers[ti] OR ox[ti] OR oxen[ti] OR "Bos Taurus"[ti] OR "dairy herd*"[ti] OR "dairy breed*"[ti] OR weaner[ti] OR yearling[ti] OR stirk[ti] OR stirks[ti] OR springer[ti] OR beef[ti] OR veal[ti] OR veals[ti] OR feeder[ti] OR cow[ti] OR cows[ti] OR bovin*[ti] OR sheep[ti] OR ovis[ti] OR ovine[ti] OR ewe[ti] OR ewes[ti] OR lamb[ti] OR lambs[ti] OR mouflon[ti] OR hogget[ti] OR ram[ti] OR rams[ti] OR tup[ti] OR tups[ti] OR capra[ti] OR capras[ti] OR caprin[ti] OR buck[ti] OR bucks[ti] OR geep[ti] OR geeps[ti] OR dam[ti] OR dams[ti] OR wether[ti] OR wethers [ti] OR goat[ti] OR goats[ti] OR buffalo[ti] OR buffaloes[ti] OR swine[ti] OR pig[ti] OR pigs[ti] OR poultry[ti] OR poultries[ti] OR fowl[ti] OR fowls[ti] OR galliform[ti] OR wildfowl[ti] OR wildfowls[ti] OR "gallinaceous bird"[ti] OR landfowl[ti] OR landfowls[ti] OR Gallus[ti] OR broiler*[ti] OR capon[ti] OR capons[ti] OR cockerel*[ti] OR hen[ti] OR hens[ti] OR pullet[ti] OR pullets[ti] OR rooster[ti] OR roosters[ti] OR waterfowl[ti] OR waterfowls[ti] OR anatidae[ti] OR mallard[ti] OR "Anas platyrhynchos"[ti] OR anser[ti] OR branta[ti] OR coturnix[ti] OR meleagris[ti] OR pigeon*[ti] OR dove[ti] OR doves[ti] OR columb[ti] OR ostrich[ti] OR ostriches[ti] OR Struthio[ti] OR chicken[ti] OR chickens[ti] OR turkey[ti] OR turkeys[ti] OR duck[ti] OR ducks[ti] OR quail[ti] OR quails[ti] OR goose[ti] OR geese[ti] OR aquatic[ti] OR fish[ti] OR fishes[ti] OR pisces[ti] OR catfish[ti] OR perch[ti] OR percidae[ti] OR perca[ti] OR char[ti] OR salvelinus[ti] OR minnow[ti] OR cyprinidae[ti] OR medaka[ti] OR stickleback[ti] OR chiron[ti] OR sediment[ti] OR dwell[ti] OR marin[ti] OR estuarine[ti] OR cursta[ti] OR gastropod[ti] OR mollusc[ti] OR trout[ti] OR trouts[ti] OR salmon[ti] OR salmons[ti] OR "sea bream"[ti] OR seabream[ti] OR "sea bass"[ti] OR seabass[ti] OR turbot[ti] OR carp[ti] OR sturgeon[ti] OR eel[ti] OR eels[ti] OR tilapia[ti] OR cod[ti] OR halibut[ti] OR cobia[ti] OR "milk fish"[ti] OR tuna[ti] OR "tuna fish*"[ti] OR tunafish[ti] OR horse[ti] OR equidae[ti] OR equus[ti] OR equine*[ti] OR colt[ti] OR colts[ti] OR foal[ti] OR foals[ti] OR yearling[ti] OR gelding[ti] OR mare[ti] OR mares[ti] OR pony[ti] OR ponies[ti] OR stallion[ti] OR horses[ti] OR rabbit[ti] OR rabbits[ti] OR lagomorpha[ti] OR hare[ti] OR hares[ti]) NOT medline[sb])).

29.             Term excluded: Perfluor*[tiab].