Firefighters Fight to Rid Kids’ Sleepwear, Baby Gear, Furniture of Toxic Flame Resistant Chemicals

My introduction to the concern came a few years ago, when the local news featured a local firefighter talking about the dangers of bromated products as used in the fabric of kids’ pajamas. Currently, federal laws requires that sleepwear for kids aged 9 month through fourteen years be treated with

flame retardants. Currently, bromated and chlorinated retardants are used, as well as the toxic metal antimony. What’s the problem with that? Dr. Douglas Fields writes of the myriad of health problems associated with some of these flame retardants, most notably the effect of retarding not just flammability, but brain development in children. To read more on the science of this, read his article “Flame Retardants: Extinguishers of Brain Development?” Chrloinated Tris, a chemical banned 30 years ago from children’s pajamas due to the toxicity that leads to cancer in lab animals, is now being used in furniture and even baby bassinets–all without disclosure from the companies.  As for antimony, this heavy metal is absorbed by children’s bodies, building-up over time, leading to possible heavy metal toxicity.

The problem of such chemicals building up in our bodies is often missed in our society–unless you’re a guest on the Dr. Phil show (where he’s recommended that children with different behavioral or mental/emotional issues get checked for heavy metal toxicity) or if you’re a fictional patient of Dr. House’s (a TV show where this is a common go-to test.) However, if you’re the average American, not a fictional character or a guest to a famous doctor, your child’s build-up of flame retardant chemicals will likely not be discovered, and any symptoms arising due to it will be attributed to something else. The way most people learn of the build up of these chemicals is through seeing a holistic physicians in the alternative health field, where checking for heavy metal toxicity and chemical overload in general is a standard first-stop check. (A mom-blogger wrote an interesting article sharing how her son’s ADD was found to be caused partially by heavy metal toxicity, and antimony specifically.)

Now that I know about the chemical treatments to the fabric, it seems strange that I never noticed how funny the fabric looks and feels prior to learning about it. Have you ever noticed that flannel kids pajamas do not look like any of other flannel fabric? There is a strange pilled texture to all varieties of fabrics thus treated.

To avoid pajamas for your children treated with the chemicals, buy all-natural fibers, like cotton, (as opposed to synthetic fabrics which are notably very flammable and therefore deemed in need of the fire retardants). Form-fitting cotton pajamas for kids are not treated with fire retardants, and are therefore void of the toxic chemicals that your child’s skin could absorb and accumulate. Just check for the tell-tale tag on them that says “have not been treated with flame-resistant chemicals.” Other parents avoid this by using clothing not made for sleepwear as pajamas, such as t-shirts and sweat pants.

The same retardants are used on most crib items for infants, including mattresses. Some parents specifically seek out all organic, chemical free versions online, which are not commercially available through standard brands and stores.

Other articles you may enjoy:

Pregnant Mothers Living Near Cell Phone Towers: Study Disproves Cancer Concern for Their Kids?

What is a Disposable Diaper Made of Anyway?

Breast Cancer Less About Genetics Than We Used to Think

What Does it Cost for Our Kids to Eat Cheaper Processed Foods?