I really can't believe that we have to be such thorough consumers that we have to research how safe car seats are. They’re made to keep our babies safe! But unfortunately we do.
Are toxins in car seats REALLY something we really have to worry about?
Unfortunately yeah. They often use flame retardants on car seats, so it is something we need to be on the lookout for.
When my daughters were about 5 and 8, and still in car seats, flame retardants were something I was just starting to become aware of. I was aware of flame retardants in pajamas, so I started going for organic cotton, tight fitting pjs, not loose fitting ones. Loose fitting pj’s are usually the ones with the flame retardants in them. So I started paying attention to those little yellow tags which means they have flame retardants.
But I had no idea that car seats, and infant seats were loaded with them too. All those products that your tiny, sweet, little babies are sitting in for long amounts of time could be coated in flame retardants.
Road trips to visit friends and family. Commuting to daycare or preschool. Your kids and babies spend a lot of time in those car seats. I truly had no idea that they were being exposed to chemical flame retardants that entire time.
What are chemical flame retardants and why do we want to avoid them?
There is growing evidence that chemical flame retardants have been associated with numerous ill health effects including:
Endocrine and Thyroid Disruption
Immune function impairment
Reproductive issues
Cancer
Fetal and child development
Neurological function
Children and babies are the most vulnerable to these toxic effects because their little brains and organs are still developing.
They also put everything in their mouth! If they’re touching the car seat (which they are) and then putting their hands in their mouth (which they most definitely are), then they are getting the flame retardant on their hands and ingesting it.
Beyond the car seats and pajamas we can be exposed through the air, water, and soil. Even though some of these chemicals are no longer allowed in the products themselves, they are still in our landfills and affect our water systems. A lot of times, these chemicals don’t break down and they stay with Mother Earth forever.
They also stay with us through bioaccumulation. The chemical levels build up in people (and animals) over time.
Which car and infant seats don’t have flame retardants?
Here is a list from the ecocenter.org Healthy Stuff 2019 Car Seat Report It’s the most updated report available. All the seats on this list were tested by Healthy Stuff.
Infant Seats
Britax Endeavor
Nuna Pipa Lite
UPPAbaby Mesa
Convertable Seats
Britax Advocate Clicktight
Clek Fllo
Convertable All-in-one
Maxi Cosi Magellan Max
Booster Seat
Britax Grow with You Clicktight Plus
There are some other brands listed on the report that the manufacturer claims are flame retardant free, but they have not been tested by Healthy Stuff.
I hope this podcast has opened your eyes a bit about flame retardants and helped you find a healthy car seat to protect your precious baby.
