Is Your Child Sleeping in Forever Chemicals? (Premium)
Toxic chemicals that do not degrade over time are known as “forever chemicals” or PFAS. PFAS are not properly regulated by the FDA. While appearing in numerous products, new testing by the Environmental Working Group revealed that these harmful toxins appear in some baby textile products.
From the Environmental Working Group:
You may have noticed an uptick in media reports detailing discoveries in various consumer products of the “forever chemicals” known as PFAS. They’re highly toxic and pervasive, and found in everything from drinking water to food packaging and many items we use every day.
Now you can add baby and children’s products to the list.
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Earlier this year, EWG commissioned an independent laboratory to test for PFAS in baby and children’s textile products. The results showed fluorine, a good indicator of the likely presence of PFAS, in all 34 samples. Ten products with high fluorine levels were tested and confirmed to have detectable levels of individual PFAS for which testing methods exist.
Background
The products EWG tested included a variety of baby supplies – bedding, bibs, changing pads, clothing, nursing pillows, outerwear, pacifier clips, playmats and activity gyms, snack bags, and soft toys. EWG’s findings – likely the first to detail levels of PFAS in baby textiles – extend what we already know about the prevalence of these chemicals in consumer products.
On average, we found the highest levels of total fluorine in bedding. This is particularly a problem since kids and especially babies spend huge amounts of time in their cribs. The other categories with the highest fluorine concentrations were bibs, outerwear and snack bags.
Special risks for babies and toddlers
It’s easy to see why manufacturers in all categories would aim to make products stain-, water- and grease-resistant. And parents’ preference for these products for their babies and toddlers, who are constantly making messes, is understandable, especially when they’re provided with no information on potential drawbacks or hidden costs. But because the bodies of babies and young children are still developing, they are among the most vulnerable to harms from PFAS – their exposure to toxic chemicals is greater, pound for pound, than that of adults.
PFAS are found in the blood of virtually everyone, including newborn babies. Very low doses of PFAS have been linked to suppression of the immune system, including reduced vaccine efficacy in children. These chemicals harm development and the reproductive system, such as reduced birth weight and impacts on fertility; increased risk of certain cancers; and affect metabolism, such as changes in cholesterol and weight gain.
For additional details and recommendations from EWG read here. To donate to EWG click here.
Check out two sites for possible solutions! Modern Nursery and Honest Company.
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