Can prenatal PBDE flame retardant exposure change your teenager's brain connectivity?

What's actually in it

PBDEs (polybrominated diphenyl ethers) were added to furniture foam, electronics, and baby products as flame retardants. Though now mostly banned, they persist in household dust, older furniture, and human bodies. During pregnancy, PBDEs cross the placenta and reach the baby's developing brain.

What the research says

A 2026 study in Int J Hyg Environ Health from the HOME Study measured PBDE levels during pregnancy and scanned the children's brains as adolescents. The researchers found that higher prenatal PBDE exposure was linked to altered functional connectivity in the adolescent brain.

Functional connectivity is how different brain regions communicate with each other. Changes in this wiring can affect attention, memory, emotional regulation, and decision-making. The effects showed up more than a decade after the exposure, proving that prenatal damage can be long-lasting.

Replace foam furniture and mattresses made before 2015. Use a HEPA vacuum and wet-mop floors to remove PBDE-laden dust. Wash hands before meals.