Colorful, trendy and, best of all, affordable. In recent years, sites like Temu and Shein have hit record sales for all things baby-related, and to first-time parents on a budget, it can all be very alluring.
But those bargains come with a big downside.
Dr Margaret Bell, a chemist and associate professor with DePaul University, said those cheap, cute baby products could come with a big health risk for kids.
“Unfortunately when products are being imported from other countries into the US, they can avoid a lot of the regulatory processes that help keep our products safe,” said Dr. Bell.
Recent studies and reports from CBC Marketplace, the Seoul city government and Greenpeace have found anywhere between 15 and 25 percent of the clothing items sampled from these websites contained high levels of dangerous chemicals like lead, phthalates, cadmium and formaldehyde.
“Some compounds can be used as dyes, and those can sometimes purposely or accidentally include heavy metals like lead,” said Dr. Bell. “Other surface protectors can be incorporated to make them stain resistant, like PFAS. Even formaldehyde can be used as wrinkle resistant processes.”
“There’s still health effects even at lower levels,” said Dr Susan Buchanan, director of the Great Lakes Center for Children’s and Reproductive Environmental Health and a clinical associate professor with the University of Illinois Chicago.
Dr. Buchanan explained that chemical exposure early on can have irreversible impacts on child development.
“If it’s a substance that stays in the body and you continuously get exposed over time, then it’s going to build up in the body. And so that level goes up and your risk of a health effect is going to be worse,” said Dr. Buchanan.
So what types of clothing have tested positive for high levels of chemicals? Testing conducted by the University of Toronto on behalf of CBC Marketplace found a children’s pleather jacket from Shein contained nearly 20 times the amount of lead U.S. regulators say is safe in children’s products.
“Even low levels of lead affect neurodevelopment in a negative way,” said Dr. Buchanan. “That can be by losing IQ points or behavior issues even at these really low levels.”
Testing from Greenpeace found heavy metals in children’s clothing exceeding European Union regulations, while testing from South Korea found phthalates, known as hormone disruptors, in levels hundreds of times higher than recommended in children’s shoes and bags purchased from the same sites.
Many of the items that tested positive for dangerous chemicals appeared to be synthetic, or made of a pleather-like material. Dr. Bell explained why those products may have more contamination.
“If it’s made from a plastic-based product, it’s not necessarily going to be comfortable and flexible. So plasticizers like phthalates like this, fennels are added to it to make it something that it’s going to feel comfortable as an article of clothing,” said Dr. Bell.
The potential danger of fast fashion is now getting attention. Last summer two members of the Consumer Product Safety Commission expressed concern over risky baby and toddler products for sale on platforms like Shein and Temu. And earlier this year, citing those same concerns, the European Union slapped restrictions on imports from those sites as well.
So is buying clothing only made in the United States a safe strategy to avoid dangerous chemicals in infant and children’s clothing? This may be difficult to do, since according to The True Cost, roughly 97% of the clothing in the US is imported.
“It’s a better bet, I would say. It’s not going to protect you from everything. And we don’t have enough information to be as informed to consumers as we want to be,” said Dr. Bell, noting that currently U.S. regulations for clothing manufacturing only focus on a few chemicals, like lead and phthalates.
Clothing manufactured in North America has also tested positive for dangerous compounds. Dr. Bell also points to several recent studies, including a 2021 study published in Environmental Science & Technology, that tested children’s products from the U.S. and Canada, including school uniforms, sweatshirts, jackets and snowsuits, and baby gear, including bibs, hats and stroller covers. The items were all labeled as resistant to water, stains, wind or wrinkles. The presence of PFAS, also known as forever chemicals, was detected in 64% of the items tested.
“If you’d like to avoid PFAS, avoid clothes marketed as ‘water/stain-resistant.’ If you need a product with those functions, choose synthetic,” said Dr. Bell. “When choosing outerwear, ideally only the exterior shell of outerwear will be treated, and dermal absorption risk is reduced. Silicone bibs are great options if waterproof is a priority.”
In a statement, a Shein spokesperson told us: “SHEIN takes product safety very seriously and is committed to offering safe and reliable products to our customers. We have a dedicated Compliance team, and our supplier and seller partners are required to comply with the code of conduct we have put in place as well as the product safety laws and regulations in the countries we operate in.”
A Temu spokesperson told us: “At Temu, we require all merchants on our platform to meet strict safety standards. Our quality control measures include requiring proper documentation, conducting regular spot checks, and continuously monitoring the platform. We swiftly remove products found or suspected to be non-compliant and hold the merchants accountable. We also work with leading global testing and certification agencies including TÜV SÜD, Eurofins, SGS and Bureau Veritas Group to ensure third-party seller products meet required standards.”
There is some good news.
Dr Bell points out that kids grow out of clothing pretty fast. So while you still want to be careful about where you buy clothes, Dr. Bell suggests making sure larger items that kids will spend more time around, like mattresses and furniture, aren’t treated with dangerous chemicals like those used in water resistant or flame retardant products.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Beware fast fashion baby clothes, as studies find high chemical levels )
Also on site :
- Could 100 Men Really Take on One Gorilla and Win? We Asked ChatGPT
- Trump sees no red line that would change tariff policy - The Atlantic
- Pope Tawadros meets with mayor of Polish town