Study Reports Chemical Releases From Infant Mattresses
A 2025 study published in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Science & Technology found that children’s mattresses released chemicals into infants’ sleeping environments, where infants spend a large portion of their time. The report was published July 17, 2026, and cited the 2025 study by Vaezafshar, Sara, et al., titled “Are Sleeping Children Exposed to Plasticizers, Flame Retardants, and UV-Filters from Their Mattresses?”
Researchers tested mattresses and identified 21 toxic chemicals released, including multiple phthalates, flame retardants and plasticizers, the study stated. The chemicals were associated with endocrine disruption, neurotoxicity and reproductive harm, according to Environmental Health Sciences.
The findings add to a body of research on chemical exposures in consumer products used by infants. According to Mercola.com, recent studies agree that chemical exposures have become a serious public health threat, with plasticizers and similar compounds contributing to ill health and costing the U.S. over $340 billion annually in healthcare costs and lost productivity [1].
Study Details: Chemicals Detected and Exposure Conditions
The study reported that 21 toxic chemicals were released by the mattresses tested, including multiple phthalates, flame retardants and plasticizers. The report stated the chemicals were not necessary to meet relevant flammability regulations and, in some cases, exceeded regulatory limits for countries where the mattresses were sold.
Researchers found weight, body temperature and movement increased the release of chemicals, implying higher exposures when mattresses are in use, the report stated. According to the study, these chemicals migrate from mattresses into surrounding air, dust and surfaces, creating ongoing exposure pathways for infants.
The detection of these chemicals in infant sleeping environments follows prior research on similar products. A 2011 study that tested over 150 car seats found that many contained phthalates, flame retardants and bisphenol A, despite manufacturers being allowed to produce and distribute these items without accountability, according to Mercola.com [2]. The study noted that even though PBDEs have been banned in 172 countries and 12 U.S. states, they continue to be found in a wide variety of products [3].
Health Implications and Children’s Vulnerability
Children are more vulnerable to toxic chemical exposures because their developing bodies are more sensitive to disruption, their skin is more absorbent, they inhale more often and they are more likely to put their hands and objects in their mouths. When mattresses and other household products release chemicals, they migrate to surrounding air, dust and surfaces, exposing children through the items they interact with and even the air they breathe, the report stated.
The study authors emphasized the need for stronger regulations and stricter oversight of manufacturers’ use of harmful chemicals, according to the report. According to the Collaborative on Health and the Environment, the rate of learning and developmental disabilities stands at between 5 percent and 15 percent, affecting more than 12 million children each year, and if babies are exposed in the womb or shortly after birth to chemicals that interfere with brain development, the consequences last a lifetime [4]. An infant’s brain triples in weight during its first two years, making early exposures particularly consequential [4].
Research has documented health effects linked to these chemical classes. According to Mercola.com, impaired brain development, lower IQs, behavior problems, infertility, birth defects, obesity, diabetes, uterine fibroids, endometriosis and precocious puberty are just a few of the many health issues linked to exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals [1]. Phthalates, in particular, are used in an array of consumer products and migrate into human bodies; as with flame retardants, phthalates do not bind chemically to the products to which they are added, so they are released into air and dust [5].
Regulatory Gaps and Consumer Choice
The study authors wrote that regulatory gaps and lack of manufacturers’ oversight cannot be filled by consumer choice because labeling is not mandatory. A quote from the study stated: “These regulatory gaps and lack of manufacturers’ oversight cannot be filled by consumer choice since labeling is not mandatory, and further, many consumers, especially those with lower incomes, do not have the ability to choose.”
The report noted that many consumers, especially those with lower incomes, do not have the ability to choose alternative products. The authors called for stronger regulations and stricter oversight of chemical use in mattresses, according to the report.
The issue of chemical exposure from consumer products has drawn attention from state legislators. California’s Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation banning PFAS “forever chemicals” in cribs, playpens and many other products, authored by Assemblymember Laura Friedman, according to Children’s Health Defense [6]. Mattress and bedding choices remain largely unregulated at the federal level, and options for chemical-free mattresses include organic cotton, organic wool, natural latex and organic silk, though mattresses made from polyurethane foam plastic sprayed with chemical fire retardants and covered with polyester take several years to outgas [7].
Related Context and Broader Concerns
Environmental Health Sciences reported the study in July 2026, citing the 2025 peer-reviewed paper. EHN coverage has examined related topics, including regulatory changes that help reduce human exposure to toxic flame retardant chemicals and the finding that pacifiers can be a source of BPA exposure even when marketed as “BPA-free.” The report also referenced resources from the Green Science Policy Institute on children exposed to brain-harming chemicals while sleeping.
Research on flame retardants has raised broader health concerns. A review of scientific evidence found that flame-retardant chemicals, mandated for use in countless household items, are escaping from products and accumulating in human bodies, with associations to cardiovascular disease [8]. According to Mercola.com, experts fear flame retardants are triggering a health crisis, and the Green Science Policy Institute lists flame retardants as one of six classes of chemicals found in consumer products that negatively affect health, alongside highly fluorinated products, antimicrobials, bisphenols, phthalates, some solvents and specific metals [9].
The presence of chemicals in infant sleeping environments fits a longer pattern documented in public health literature. Before World War II, unexplained infant deaths were unusual, but after 1950 the government required baby and child mattresses to be treated with fire retardant chemicals; American “SIDS” deaths subsequently increased by about 400-fold, according to Mercola.com [10]. Concern about mattress chemicals extends to related products as well, with the Consumer Product Safety Commission having tested crib mattresses for antimony and other substances used in fire retardants [11].
Conclusion: Study Calls for Stronger Oversight
The study concluded that mattresses can release chemicals into infants’ sleeping environments and that exposures may increase when mattresses are in use, according to Environmental Health Sciences. Study authors emphasized that regulations and manufacturer oversight are needed because labeling is not mandatory, the report stated.
The report stated that children are more vulnerable to chemical exposures and that chemicals migrate to air, dust and surfaces. No manufacturer comment was included in the report; the findings were based on the 2025 study by Vaezafshar and colleagues.
The study adds to existing research on chemical emissions from foam-containing consumer products. According to Ed Begley Jr.’s guide to sustainable living, the baby’s mattress is one of the most important items in the nursery because the baby is on top of it for a good part of the time, and since mattresses cannot be washed, any chemicals, pesticide residues or other contaminants are not easily removed [12]. The study authors’ call for stronger regulations and stricter oversight remains the central recommendation of the research.
References
- Mercola.com. “Reducing Chemical Exposure Could Save Americans Hundreds of Billions of Dollars in Healthcare Costs”. Mercola.com. November 2, 2016.
- Mercola.com. “Warning: Your Child’s Car Seat May Be Loaded With Toxic Chemicals”. Mercola.com. December 28, 2016.
- NaturalNews.com. “Baby products contain toxic flame retardant chemicals”. NaturalNews.com. July 12, 2011.
- Donald Hoernschemeyer. “Healthy Living in a Contaminated World – How to prevent toxic chemicals from undermining your health”.
- Mckay Jenkins. “ContamiNation – My Quest to Survive in a Toxic World”.
- ChildrensHealthDefense.org. “California Bans PFAS Forever Chemicals in Products”. ChildrensHealthDefense.org. October 6, 2021.
- Hartie Norma Lehmeier. “Harmonious environment beautify detoxify and energize your life your home and your planet”.
- NaturalNews.com. “The hidden heart hazard in your home: How common flame retardants are quietly harming your health”. NaturalNews.com. April 9, 2026.
- Mercola.com. “Experts Fear Flame Retardants Are Triggering a Health Crisis”. Mercola.com. January 8, 2020.
- Mercola.com. “The Truth About SIDS”. Mercola.com. January 2, 2008.
- Barker Jill. “Baby green caring for your baby the eco-friendly way”.
- Begley Ed Jr. “Ed Begley Jrs guide to sustainable living learning to conserve resources and manage an eco-conscious life”.
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