"Eighty percent of cushions used in car seats, portable cribs and other baby furnishings contain chemical flame retardants that can accumulate in babies' bodies, according to a new study published Wednesday. More than one-third of the tested products contained the same carcinogenic compound that was removed from children's pajamas in the 1970s. For many of the chemicals, the potential health effects remain unknown and unstudied. The study's lead author, Duke University's Heather Stapleton, said many of them have been used in foam cushions only recently, replacing another chemical that was banned after 2004 because it was building up rapidly in human bodies. "

Marla Cone reports for Environmental Health News May 17, 2011. [2]