Clothes that should protect, keep the little ones warm and safe, but instead risk poisoning them. This is the terrible reality that emerged from a new study published in EnvironmentalResearchconducted not on the other side of the world, but right next to us, in Spain, and which analyzed dozens of baby clothes discovering traces of pesticides, hormones, perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and even antidepressant drugs.
A result that truly leaves you speechless: 303 different chemical compounds have been identified in the fabrics of onesies, bodysuits and blankets, items that come into direct contact with the delicate skin of newborns every day.
The study
Researchers from the University and the Biosafety Institute of Granada analyzed 43 items of baby clothing, including onesies, bodysuits, socks and blankets, coming from homes, shops and nurseries in the Spanish province of Granada. Some were new from the shop, others used or already washed several times, so it was possible to evaluate whether and to what extent the chemical substances could persist over time and with daily use.
The researchers’ objective was ambitious: to identify all foreign (“xenobiotic”) substances present in tissues – not just those known or declared – thanks to an innovative analysis method called “non-targeted screening” (NTS-SS), capable of detecting hundreds of compounds even at minimal concentrations.
The result exceeded the worst expectations, as already anticipated, 303 different chemical substances were identified in the analyzed tissues, belonging to very different categories. Specifically, the researchers found:
Many of these compounds, among other things, do not disappear with normal household washing. Venlafaxine, an antidepressant commonly prescribed to adults, was found in more than half of the samples – even after rinsing in water. How does it get into baby onesies? The authors hypothesize that the contamination may arise from wastewater used during fabric production, where drug residues that are not properly disposed of end up accumulating, or from contaminated industrial processes or from storage and dyeing environments saturated with chemical compounds.
An invisible danger for the little ones
The problem, the authors point out, is that skin absorption bypasses the body’s natural defenses. When we ingest a toxic substance, the liver acts as a filter; but through the skin – especially the thin and delicate skin of newborns – the toxic molecules enter directly into the blood, in a more active and dangerous form.
This is why even minimal traces can have devastating effects on a developing organism. Experts link early exposure to substances like PFAS or phthalates to developmental disorders, infertility, endometriosis and childhood cancers.
Scholars warn that the widespread presence of bioactive and toxic substances in fabrics makes newborns’ clothes a real source of daily exposure, especially considering their thin, permeable skin that is constantly in contact with fabrics.
Regulations are missing
The study also shows us a serious and worrying regulatory gap. In the United States, checks on children’s clothing focus almost exclusively on two aspects: the flammability of the fabrics and the presence of lead, leaving the vast range of potentially toxic chemicals present in the garments practically ignored.
In Europe the situation is not much better. Although the REACH regulation imposes strict limits on many chemicals, textiles often end up outside the scope of specific controls. This means that pesticides, flame retardants, plasticizers, synthetic hormones and other dangerous substances can be present in newborn clothing without any authority actually verifying their safety.
According to the authors of the study, this regulatory gap is amplified by the complexity of global textile production: garments coming from different countries, treated with different chemical processes, arrive on the European market without systematic controls, exposing children to an invisible but concrete daily risk.
What should be done
The authors ask for an immediate change of course, in fact we need:
What parents can do
In the meantime, parents can follow these simple tips to reduce risks:
