The Car Seat Dilemma: They Save Lives but Could They Be Making Kids Sick? How To Choose the Least Toxic Car Seat in 2015
in December 2016 a new study tested 15 car seats for flame retardant chemicals. To read the results, read our blog post ' FLAME RETARDANTS CHEMICALS STILL USED IN ALL BUT ONE CAR SEAT BRAND TESTED (NEW STUDY)
Few posts have garnered as many views, questions and comments in this blog as our posts on choosing the least toxic car seat.
Why?
As parents, many of us are clearly frustrated that a product that so obviously needs to be used every single day and that keeps our children safe inside a car is also, at the same time, exposing them to some pretty bad toxic chemicals.
What is worse?
There is just no reliable way of telling which seats have which chemicals, or how much of them. Even companies who claim to be using "safe flame retardants" (according to the study I will mention below) it turns out use potentially toxic chemicals in their car seats. Company websites and even customer service representatives are often times giving out incorrect information to concerned consumers.
What is a concerned parent to do?
We all have to use car seats. Period. They save lives. So the question really is: how do you choose the least toxic option?
New Study
Today's reality is this: all car seats in the market right now in the US contain at least one chemical flame retardant in order to meet the federal fire test standard for vehicle accessories. With that in mind, today's post is intended to help consumers buy an essential child safety product among an imperfect field.
This is also what the Ecology Center, a Michigan based nonprofit, had in mind when they recently published their newest findings on toxic chemicals in children's car seat(as a side note, do visit their website and perhaps support them since they are one of few organizations testing children's car seats today!).
Fifteen (15) of the best selling 2014-model car seats were included and tested for various different flame retardants that have been linked to thyroid problems, learning and memory impairment, decreased fertility, behavioral changes and cancer.
The results were as follows (please note: these results only take into consideration the level of chemical flame retardants in the car seats and do not take into consideration other safety factors)
Drum roll please....
(in December 2016 a new study tested 15 car seats for flame retardant chemicals. To read the results, read our blog post ' FLAME RETARDANTS CHEMICALS STILL USED IN ALL BUT ONE CAR SEAT BRAND TESTED (NEW STUDY)
Best overall car seats (these are 2014 models. Click on our update for 2016 models ' FLAME RETARDANTS CHEMICALS STILL USED IN ALL BUT ONE CAR SEAT BRAND TESTED (NEW STUDY)):
Britax Parkway
(9/2015 update: please note, according to Clek: "it is our line of Crypton fabrics which are free-from brominated and chlorinated flame retardants (all colours excluding the Drift model)". The company has stated that in 2015 they hope to offer all models completely free of brominated and chlorinated flame retardants, however no testing has been done for me to confirm this. In the meantime make sure you buy the Crypton fabric)
Worst overall car seats:
Graco, My Size 65 (Convertible)
Baby Trend, Hybrid 3-in-1 (Convertible)
Other brands tested include: Chicco, Cybex, Dorel Juvenile Group (Eddie Bauer, Safety First), Evenflo, Harmony Juvenile, Orbit Baby, Peg.Perego
Nearly ¾ of the seats tested contained hazardous halogenated flame retardants and over half contained non-halogenated organophosphate flame retardants
Remind me-why is this important? How exactly can flame retardants chemicals in the car seat affect my child?
The problem with flame retardant chemicals is that they do not stick/ bind very well to the product they are used on.... thus, they are released over time. Mostly into dust particles and air
then
heat and UV-ray exposure in cars can accelerate the release of these chemicals from products into the vehicle environment
and then
infants, toddlers and children can be exposed to these chemicals through inhalation, ingestion and dermal (skin) absorption.
finally,
the longer your child sits in his/ her car seat the more exposed they are to these chemicals
So, how bad are flame retardant? Is there such a thing as a safer fire retardant?
The short answer: flame retardants are pretty bad (can be carcinogenic, affect thyroid etc) and we don't really know if there is such a thing a s safe one. Here is a little history on flame retardants (courtesy of the Ecology Center):
In the 1970’s, a chemical known as chlorinated tris, or TDCPP, was used to treat children’s pajamas to make the fabric slower to catch fire. Chlorinated tris was a replacement for a chemical that was found to be carcinogenic. Years later, Chlorinated tris was revealed to be a carcinogen too (and was removed from pajamas.)
Chlorinated tris= proven to be carcinogenic = should never again be used in children's products right?
Well, not exactly.
Fast forward to 2004... In 2004 (after another flame retardant was phased out due to health concerns) Chlorinated tris once again became the go to chemical for a number of products; in furniture, car interiors, tents, and children’s products such as nap mats and crib pads (but not pajamas). Where else? Yes, you guessed it, this proven carcinogenic chemical was also found in two of the 2014 model car seats in this new study.
This is a good example of how replacement chemicals are sometimes no safer than the banned chemicals they are replacing. Sometimes (as is the case with chlorinated tris) "proven" bad chemicals make a comeback, other times, new chemicals with little to no safety studies are used. This is why Federal Chemical Safety Laws need to be updated - but that is a whole other issue.
Having said that there are 3 classes of flame retardant
Brominated, (also called halogenated) are considered quite toxic and extremely persistence in the environment.
Chlorinated (also called halogenated) are considered quite toxic and extremely persistence in the environment.
Phosphate-based. These are the replacement chemicals du jour being used to replace the toxic halogenated flame retardants. According to limited research studies, some of these replacements may be safer for human health. Let's cross our fingers, because while laws continue to require flame retardants in car seats these seem to be our safest bet. Some manufacturers, such as Britax and Clek, are opting for these chemicals because so far they seem like the least toxic of the 3.
But, if these chemicals can save my child in a car fire- then isn't that more important?
If the answer were yes, this debate would be quite different. The reality is that car fires move so fast that these fire retardants are no longer considered to be of any help retarding flames in real life scenarios
Detailed results
The ratings, shown in Table 3, show all of the car seats included in the study and the level of chemicals of concern
For more details on what specific chemicals were found in which car seat download the full technical report
Other recommendations
Limit the time your children spend in their car seats. Only use the car seat during travel, not as a place for your child to nap or sit outside of the car (especially common for infants)
Limit direct sunlight on the car seat and high temperatures in your car. Window coverings in a car also substantially lower the interior temperature on a warm day.
Vacuum the car interior and the nooks and crannies of car seats. Chemicals that migrate out, including flame retardants, can cling to dust particles. Open the car windows when possible.
Washing car seat covers can remove contaminated dust and other particles.
In November 2015 we had the opportunity to talk to one of the US's leading experts on flame retardants; Dr. Heather Stapleton from Duke University. To read her answers to our questions (many of the questions were taken from questions I have received from this post and past posts), read out post titled 'Duke's Boss Lady of Flame Retardants: What To Do About Flame Retardants in Car Seats and Beyond'
In October 2016 we also informed our readers of the first reportedly flame retardant free infant car seat. Read our post ' COMING SOON- THE FIRST FLAME RETARDANT FREE INFANT CAR SEAT' to find out more!
