Can flame retardants in old furniture weaken your child's bones?

What's actually in it

Older couches, mattresses, and upholstered chairs often contain polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). These are flame retardant chemicals that were added to polyurethane foam for decades. They were mostly phased out after 2004, but furniture lasts a long time. If your couch or mattress was made before 2005, there's a good chance the foam inside still contains PBDEs.

PBDEs don't stay locked in the foam. They slowly escape into household dust. You breathe them in, and kids pick them up on their hands when they crawl or play on the floor. Pregnant women absorb them too, and the chemicals cross the placenta.

What the research says

A 2026 study in the International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health measured PBDE levels in pregnant women's blood, then followed their children until age 12. At that point, the researchers scanned the kids' bones.

Children whose mothers had higher PBDE levels during pregnancy had lower bone mineral density at age 12. That means their bones were less dense and potentially weaker than those of kids with lower prenatal exposure.

Bone density in childhood matters a lot. The teen years are when your body builds most of the bone mass you'll carry for life. Starting with weaker bones at 12 could mean a higher risk of fractures and osteoporosis later on.

PBDEs are known endocrine disruptors. They mess with thyroid hormones, which play a direct role in how bones grow and strengthen. That's likely how the damage happens: the chemicals throw off the hormonal signals that tell bones to build.

If you have furniture made before 2005, especially items with exposed or crumbling foam, consider replacing them. At minimum, keep dust levels down by wet-mopping and vacuuming with a HEPA filter regularly.