Could Toxic Chemicals be in Your Child’s Car Seat?

Children's car seats often save lives in Dallas car accidents. But could these same car seats also be causing allergies, birth defects, impaired learning, liver toxicity, and cancer?

In a recent study conducted by the nonprofit Ecology Center, more than 150 children's car seats were tested for toxic chemicals like bromine, chlorine, lead, and other heavy metals. Researchers found that 60 percent of the car seats tested contained at least one of these dangerous chemicals. 

While this may seem like bad news, the good news is that some of the seats tested were virtually free of these tested toxins. To see how your child's car seat tested, go to www.healtystuff.org. Ecology Center found the following brands were the most toxic car seats:

• Infant seat: Graco Snugride 35 in Edgemont Red/Black and Snugride 30 in Asprey
• Convertible seat: Britax Marathon 70 in Jet Set & Platinum
• Booster seat: Recaro Pro Booster in Blue Opal & ProSPORT Toddler in Mist

The least toxic car seats examined by researchers were the following:

• Infant seat: Chicco Key Fit 30 in Limonata, Graco Snugride 35 in Laguna Bay, and Combi Shuttle 33 in Cranberry Noche
• Convertible seat: Graco Comfort Sport in Caleo, Graco MyRide 65 in Chandler and Streamer, Safety 1st OnSide Air in Clearwater, and Graco Nautilus Elite 3-in-1 in Gabe
• Booster seat: Graco Turbo Booster in Anders

The researchers noted that car seats are becoming less toxic thanks to studies like this. In 2009, 63 percent of the car seats tested contained brominated flame retardants, which are also toxic.

Jeff Gearhart, the Research Director at Ecology Center, reminds parents that "[c]ar seats save lives. It's absolutely essential that parents put their children in them while driving." But he and other researchers at Ecology Center want consumers to know they have a choice when choosing a car seat and can chose seats that contain less harmful chemicals than others.

Hopefully with studies like this one, car seat manufacturers will continue to phase out hazardous flame retardants in car seats.