Can flame retardant chemicals from baby gear affect your child's bone density at age 12?

What's actually in it

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are flame retardants that were added to foam in furniture, car seats, nursing pillows, and baby mattresses for decades. Although many PBDEs are now banned, they break down slowly and still linger in household dust, older furniture, and human bodies. During pregnancy, PBDEs in a mother's blood cross the placenta.

What the research says

A 2026 study in Int J Hyg Environ Health measured PBDE levels in pregnant women and then checked their children's bone mineral density at age 12 years. The researchers found that higher prenatal PBDE exposure was linked to lower bone density in the adolescents.

Lower bone density during the teen years is a problem because adolescence is when your body builds most of its lifetime bone mass. Starting with less bone means a higher risk of fractures and osteoporosis later in life.

Replace old foam furniture and baby gear made before 2015, when PBDE regulations tightened. Use a HEPA vacuum to clean up flame retardant dust, especially in rooms where babies and children spend time.