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Objective: To assess the evidence presented in a set of articles that use the Canadian Maternal–Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) study database to claim that community water fluoridation (CWF) is associated with harm to foetal and infant cognitive development. Methods: Critical appraisal of measurements and processes in the MIREC database, and articles derived therefrom. MIREC's cohort is approximately 2000 pregnant women recruited in 10 centres across Canada, 2008–2011, leading to measuring 512 children aged 3–6 years in six cities. Fluoride exposure was measured by city fluoridation status, self‐reports and maternal spot urine samples. Intelligence Quotient (IQ) was measured using the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI‐III) by different assessors in each city. Results: MIREC's fluoride and IQ measurements are invalid and therefore cannot support the claim that CWF is associated with IQ decline in children. Conclusions: The MIREC fluoride‐IQ articles' results should be considered unacceptable for legal and policy purposes; other water fluoridation studies and systematic reviews show no effect of fluoridation on cognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the longitudinal associations among maternal pre- and postnatal depression, maternal anxiety, and children's language and cognitive development followed from 15 to 61 months. Furthermore, we assessed the protective role of children's early print experiences with books against the adverse effect of maternal depression on language development. Data for mothers and children (51.7% boys, 95% White, N = 11,662) were from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Prenatal maternal depression held an adverse association with child language (β = −.16, p =.002). Moreover, the risk was greater for girls than boys (β =.19, p =.02). In addition, prenatal depression was significantly and negatively associated with child verbal intelligence quotient (β = −.11, p =.02) and performance intelligence quotient (β = −.12, p =.01). In contrast, postnatal depression or anxiety were not unique predictors of child outcomes. Importantly, children's early experiences with books, as measured by the reported frequency of parent–child shared reading, moderated the negative association between maternal depression and child language development (β =.30, p <.001). Although modest in size, these findings inform models of child risk and resilience related to maternal psychopathology. The results also have implications for clinical programs as well as for prevention and intervention studies focusing on at-home early literacy. Public Significance Statement: This study highlights the adverse impact of maternal mental health, particularly prenatal depression, on children's cognitive and language development. The findings also suggest that reading to children and children's access to books protect them against this adverse effect. Parents should be encouraged to read to their children and help them access books. This simple solution may help lessen some of the harmful effects of maternal depression on child language development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Serious games (i.e., digital games designed for educational purposes) can foster positive learning attitudes and are increasingly used as educational tools. Foodbot Factory is a serious game application (app) that helps children learn about healthy eating based on Canada's Food Guide principles and has demonstrated to increase nutrition knowledge among this group. This paper describes the process followed to expand Foodbot Factory's educational content and integrate immersive technologies and innovative features into the app. The revision process, which was guided by the Obesity-Related Behavioral Intervention Trials model, included the following phases: first, an interdisciplinary team of nutrition scientists, education experts, and computer scientists analyzed data from the original pilot study, recently published literature, and feedback from stakeholders to define areas to improve Foodbot Factory. The five original Foodbot Factory modules were evaluated by the team during weekly meetings, where the educational content, interactive features, and other elements that required updates (e.g., aesthetics and accessibility) were identified. Second, prototypes were created and refined until a final version of Foodbot Factory was approved. Nineteen children tested the updated Foodbot Factory and found it "easy to use" (89%) and "fun" (95%). The new version of Foodbot Factory contains 19 learning objectives, including 13 original and six new objectives. Interactive engagement features in the updated Foodbot Factory included augmented reality incorporated into two learning modules; new mini-games were created, including a memory game; an overhaul of the aesthetics; (e.g., new food images); and accessibility features were included to support users with cognitive and vision disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]