Carcinogen Found in Children’s Bedding Products

As many new mothers have found, getting new bedding products for your infant may seem like a special day – changing pads, mattress pads, car seats and other products you buy at your local toy or department store may seem new, but some also have that “funny” smell. Initially, you may attribute it to being wrapped in plastic because the smell dissipates over time. Now comes word that some of these common products sold in stores and on the internet contain dangerous levels of carcinogens, according to a local watchdog group. The Center for Environmental Health in Oakland, California, told the press last month that it found 16 children’s products and four general-audience products that had chlorinated Tris and other flame retardants in its foam that exceeded what is allowed by California law. Chlorinated Tris was banned in 1977 from being used in children’s pajamas because it has been linked to gene mutation and hormone disruption. The chemical is particularly dangerous for babies who come in contact with it and put their fingers and hands in their mouths. In 2011, California law requires that products that have a certain level of the carcinogen must list that as a warning on its label. The products above did not have such warning labels, the group said. A May, 2011 Duke University study first examined the dangers of flame retardants in babies’ products and revealed that 80 percent of car seats, changing pads and other items had toxic or unknown flame retardants and one third had chlorinated Tris. The Center for Environmental Health said that Proposition 65, a consumer protection measure that is law in California, provides that a product’s amount of chlorinated Tris must not exceed a certain level because of the additional cancer cases that result from exposure to the product. The watchdog group found baby products it tested to have the carcinogen such as infant recliners, bassinet pads and crib wedges to be carried at Target, Babies R Us, Kmart, Bed Bath & Beyond, Walmart and Amazon.com. A list of these products can be found here.