O ver the past 30 years, hundreds of millions of pounds of fi re retardant chemicals have been put into consumer products in the United States, particularly in furniture and electronics. Until recently, nobody knew that many baby and infant products also contained these toxic chemicals. Unfortunately, this includes the most c o m m o n p l a c e items for our little
ones – cribs, infant car seats, swing sets, nursing pillows, changing tables, strollers, walkers, and baby backpacks from a variety of manufacturers.
Babies are especially vulnerable to fi re retardant exposure because they spend a large portion of their early lives playing, sleeping, or being carried in cribs, playpens, bassinets, baby backpacks, or on furniture treated with these chemicals, often ingesting them from hand-to-mouth contact or inhalation. They also absorb these compounds from their mother’s breast milk and through the placenta. Fortunately, there is good news. A number of baby and infant product makers (as well as furniture companies), make smolder-resistant products free of these chemicals. Many of them use fi reresistant polyester fi bers that resist ignition, helping overcome the need for fi re retardant-treated foam inside the item. Parents need to ask retailers whether that new Pack ’n Play crib, nursing pillow, walker, stroller, toddler chair, or living room sofa contains “halogenated” fi re retardant chemicals (this specifi es the entire class of toxic fi re retardants). If the retailer doesn’t know, our advice is not to buy it. For products that you may already own, look for a small white label saying it meets fl ammability standards set by California or other regulatory bodies (usually underneath or on the side of the product). If it has one, chances are that toxic fi re retardant chemicals were used. If it doesn’t have a label, that doesn’t mean its safe – consumers are advised to call the manufacturer to ask. By Russell Long, Ph.D., Vice President, Friends of the Earth, www.foe.org
