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Protect Your Family from Toxic Flame Retardants

At first thought, the idea of having your baby’s products be flame retardant seems to make sense. Of course you want to protect your baby from the risk of being caught in a fire. However, as I began to learn that the rules for flame retardants in products like mattresses were created in the seventies when people were smoking in their beds, I started to wonder if this really applied to the safety of my baby. Then when I learned that many of the chemicals used back then to make these products “safe” have since been proven to be harmful themselves, I started to think that this was a silly trade off. I know some people don’t agree with me, but I now believe that the risk of my daughter playing with matches and lighting her nursing pillow on fire is much smaller than the risk that she will day after day put her head on something that off-gasses a chemical that could hinder her development. A study by the Green Science Policy Institute brought to light the dangers of a number of flame retardant chemicals, as well as their prevalence in the products we use around our children. — Suzanne Price

Green Science Policy Institute

The Green Science Policy Institute provides unbiased scientific data to government, industry, and non-governmental organizations to facilitate informed decision-making about chemicals used in consumer products. The Institute published a 20 page in-depth report called The Safe Kids Buyer’s Guide. The below is a summary of the report.

According to the Institute, children in this generation have higher rates of serious health problems that may be caused by their environments than those of previous generations. Flame retardant chemicals may be adding to these problems. The study found that 80% of baby products tested contained flame retardants that are either linked to adverse health effects or are lacking adequate health information, despite the fact that the chemicals provide no fire safety benefit.

No Measurable Improvement

In California, a flammability standard was passed in 1975 calling for all polyurethane foam in furniture and baby products to withstand a 12 second exposure to an open flame. The response has been the addition of high levels of flame retardant chemicals to products containing polyurethane foam. However, according to the Institute’s reading of the National Fire Protection Association’s data, this has not led to a measurable improvement in fire safety in California.

How does this affect your kids?

Toddlers show 3-4x the level of flame retardant chemicals in their bodies compared to their parents. This is because the chemicals escape from furniture and settle into house dust, which gets onto the hands, food, and toys of toddlers. It is then ingested when the toddler puts his hands in his mouth.

A Few of the Toxic Flame Retardants for which the Institute Tested

  1. PentaBDE – Though this chemical has been banned, it may still exist in old products. PentaBDE was used in the U.S. from the 1980s until it was banned in 2004. It was commonly used and has been detected in car seats, rockers, and portable cribs. Consider this please when accepting a hand-me-down or buying something used on craigslist. It has been associated with:
    • Reduced IQ in children;
    • Changes in male hormone levels and reduced sperm count;
    • Increased time to become pregnant in women;
    • Low birth weight;
    • Impaired childhood development.
  2. TDCPP – This chemical was removed from children’s pajamas in the 1970s because it caused genetic mutations in animal studies. In a human study, men living in homes with high amounts of TDCPP in the dust were found to have reduced sperm counts and altered hormone levels. The Institute found it in car seats, changing table pads, sleep positioners, baby carriers, nursing pillows, portable cribs, high chair pads, and bassinet mattresses.
  3. TCEP – Identified as a carcinogen by the State of California in the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986. TCEP was detected in nursing pillows, baby carriers, and portable cribs.
  4. TCPP – Similar in chemical makeup to TCEP, but with limited health information. TCPP was found in changing table pads, car seats, nursing pillows, sleeping wedges, portable cribs, and rockers.

How Can You Protect Your Family From Toxic Flame Retardants?

  • You can reduce your family’s exposure to these chemicals by limiting products containing the highly flammable polyurethane foam.
  • Sprout has had some infant car seats tested and the only foam that passed the test for no flame retardants was that of the Nuna Pipa.
  • Our number one recommendation is to choose an Organic Crib Mattress, because babies can spend up to 16 hours each day in their cribs.
  • Be sure to inquire about the flame retardant chemicals present in other major purchases you make for your baby and your home.