Can flame retardants in home furniture affect your child's thyroid and attention?

What's actually in it

Couches, mattresses, carpet padding, and electronics are treated with halogenated flame retardants (HFRs) to slow the spread of fire. These chemicals include polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and newer replacements like organophosphate flame retardants. They don't stay bonded to the foam or fabric. Instead, they seep out into household dust, and kids swallow that dust when they put their hands in their mouths.

Pregnant women are exposed too, mostly through dust and food. The chemicals cross the placenta and reach the developing baby's brain and thyroid gland.

What the research says

A 2026 study in Environ Res followed children from a Canadian birth cohort and measured flame retardant levels in their blood. Kids with higher HFR exposure had altered thyroid hormone levels and scored higher on ADHD-related behavior scales.

The thyroid connection matters a lot. Thyroid hormones control brain development in the first years of life. When flame retardants interfere with those hormones, the effects can show up as trouble paying attention, hyperactivity, and difficulty with learning.

The study found effects from both old-style PBDEs and their newer replacements. So swapping one flame retardant for another hasn't solved the problem. The children most affected were those exposed before birth, when the brain is most vulnerable to hormone disruption.