Child Car Seats Seep Toxic Chemicals

May 2007

Parents – the very car seats you use to protect your children may be leaking toxins that could actually endanger their health. A new study has found that many child safety seats contain high levels of toxic chemicals that could hurt children.

Dangerous toxins such as chlorine, bromine, and lead could be seeping out of the car seats. These chemicals have been linked to cancer as well as liver, thyroid, and developmental problems in youths. They may be breathed or ingested by children through the air and dust in cars.

Seats with the highest chemical levels include:

• Britax Marathon – Platinum
• Combi Centre EX – Mango
• Graco TurboBooster – Emily
• Peg Perego Primo Viaggio SIP – Toffee
• TurboBooster SafeSeat

To minimize the presence of these chemicals, parents should regularly clean and dust the interior of their automobiles. It’s also important to know that heat may trigger the release of these toxins, so avoid keeping cars in direct sunlight and keep windows open for ventilation.