Can flame retardants from furniture and electronics during pregnancy reduce a child's bone density?

What's actually in it

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were used as flame retardants in furniture foam, electronics, and textiles from the 1970s through the 2000s. Several PBDE compounds were phased out in the US starting in 2004, but they persist in older furniture and electronics, household dust, and the environment. They're still detectable in most Americans' blood.

PBDEs disrupt thyroid hormones. Thyroid hormones are critical for bone development, stimulating the osteoblasts that build bone and regulating the bone-building cycle. Disruption of thyroid signaling during fetal and early childhood development can alter the rate and quality of bone formation at peak bone-building times.

What the research says

A 2026 study in Int J Hyg Environ Health measured PBDE concentrations in mothers during pregnancy and assessed bone mineral density in their children at age 12 using DXA scans. Children born to mothers with higher pregnancy PBDE levels had lower bone mineral density at age 12.

Age 12 is a critical bone-building period: children accumulate a large fraction of their lifetime bone mass during adolescence. Lower density at this stage sets up higher fracture risk and potentially earlier osteoporosis in adulthood.

The main ongoing PBDE source is dust from older foam furniture manufactured before the phase-out. Sofa cushions, chair foam, and mattresses from before 2005 can still leach PBDEs into household dust. Regular HEPA vacuuming and replacing very old foam furniture reduces ongoing exposure. New furniture purchased in the US after 2013 is unlikely to contain legacy PBDEs, though newer replacement flame retardants come with their own safety concerns.