Study links flame retardants and low birth weight

A common flame-retardant used in homes and automobiles has been associated with low birth weight in babies, according to a study, " Association of Prenatal Exposure to Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers and Infant Birth Weight", published recently in the American Journal of Epidemiology. PBDEs, a class of chemical compounds (polybrominated diphenyl ethers) are found in textiles, plastic electronics housings, as well as foam furniture and carpet padding.

The study, which looked at the birth weights of 286 babies whose mothers had had their levels of PBDEs measured during pregnancy, found that higher concentrations of PBDEs were linked to lower birth weights. The researchers studied low-income Hispanic women in California who were already part of a longitudinal study, by the Center for the Health Assessment of Mothers and Children of Salinas. The study found that the PDBE levels in low-income Hispanic women were lower than in the general US population. Thus the potential impact of PDBEs among the general US population may be even greater than among low-income Hispanic women.

With every ten-fold increase in maternal PBDE concentration, "we saw a four-ounce shift, which was a statistically significant shift," said Kim G. Harley, an epidemiologist at the Center for Environmental Research and Children's Health (CERCH), School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley and lead author of the study.

Harley pointed out that PBDEs are found in stuffed furniture, the under-padding of carpets, in children's products like high chairs and strollers, even foam nursing pillows. Although "this group of PBDEs is, for the most part, not being used since 2004, they're in things we don't replace very often," said Harley. People may "still have the furniture. These chemicals have the ability to leach out. You can find them in the dust in the house."

While Harley acknowledges that "it's really important to keep families safe from fire," she's also concerned that the chemicals that are currently being used may carry risks as well. "We don't want people running out and throwing out the couch, Harley said. "If you're concerned about young children crawling around on the floor, vacuum frequently with a HEPA filter and a wet mop. Since there are flame retardants in so many household products, start to be aware."

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—Merri Rosenberg