Give a beloved teddy bear or other stuffed creature to a baby or toddler and they might try to put it in their mouth. A new study suggests that this typical behavior could expose them to the “forever chemicals” known as PFAS used in making the toys.
Levels of the most notorious forever chemicals PFOA and PFOS – linked to cancer and other serious health harms – in stuffed animals were below European health guidelines, the study found. But 100% of the toys tested released detectable levels of short-chain “replacement” chemicals, specifically perfluorohexanoic acid, or PFHxA.
PFAS can migrate from stuffed toys and into a child’s mouth during normal play. The study, by Swiss researchers, raises concerns about the next generation of chemicals quietly replacing “legacy” PFAS like PFOA and PFOS, which are banned from children’s products.
The study was published recently in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology.
Whack-a-mole regulatory gap
Researchers tested 18 stuffed toys marketed for infants and toddlers. To measure how chemicals leach into the artificial saliva used in the study, the scientists simulated the kind of prolonged mouthing and chewing babies do naturally when playing with plushies.
As federal and state regulators banned older PFAS compounds like PFOA and PFOS, manufacturers pivoted to making products using short-chain alternative forever chemicals. But because these replacement chemicals are often more water-soluble and mobile, they can easily migrate into a small child’s saliva when the stuffed toy is chewed or sucked on, the study found.
While a small study – just 18 toys – cannot represent every product on the market, the research highlights a persistent regulatory loophole: chemical companies replacing one unsafe compound with another substance that has received far less scrutiny. This whack-a-mole approach to tackling PFAS means current policies don’t adequately cover the chemicals replacing PFAS in stuffed animals.
It doesn’t mean every plushie in your home is a hazard. But the fact that short-chain replacements were found in each toy is a concern. Washing toys before play can help, as can shopping for stuffed animals made from natural fibers and avoiding those labeled “stain resistant.”
And the study further underscores the need to regulate PFAS as a class rather than one by one, the current approach.
Health risks of PFAS exposure
PFAS exposure and health risks start before birth. They’re toxic at extremely low levels and known as forever chemicals because they don’t break down in the environment and can build up in the body. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has detected PFAS in the blood of 99% of Americans, including newborn babies.
PFAS readily cross the placenta and have been detected in umbilical cord blood, confirming that the developing fetus faces direct prenatal exposure.
Detections of PFAS in the infant formula millions of American babies depend on as their sole source of nutrition means the exposure did not begin at the first feeding. For many infants, it has already been accumulating for months.
A recent study also links prenatal PFAS exposure to premature birth, low birth weight and infant mortality. It can also cause thyroid disruption, harm to the male reproductive system, pregnancy-induced high blood pressure, reduced fertility and shorter duration of breastfeeding.
The impact on infants and toddlers is especially pronounced. Babies are not small adults when it comes to chemical exposure – they are categorically more vulnerable.
Does washing help?
For years, standard advice for parents was simple: Throw new plush toys in the washing machine before handing them to a child.
Washing helps for some of the PFAS that are well-linked to harm.
In the study, washing reduced detected amounts of the forever chemicals PFHxA and PFOS by 95% to 100% in most toys. While a simulated water rinse lowered overall chemical migration in most toys, it actually increased the release of certain short-chain chemicals in a subset of products.
For the forever chemical PFBA, washing increased migration in some toys. Researchers suspect mechanical agitation during washing may break down synthetic coatings or loosen fibers, making these chemicals more accessible on the fabric's surface.
What else parents and caregivers can do
Parents shouldn’t need a degree in toxicology to buy a safe stuffed animal.
While parents cannot shop their way out of a systemic chemical regulation problem, there are small, practical steps that can help minimize exposure during critical developmental windows:
- Skip “stain-resistant” or “easy clean” claims. Avoid plush items, nap mats, or baby gear marketed as “spill-proof,” “stain-resistant” or “easy-clean.” These marketing labels are often red flags for fluorinated treatments and a common way PFAS gets intentionally added to textiles.
- Opt for untreated, natural fibers. Choose plush toys made from certified organic cotton or wool, rather than synthetic materials, which are far more likely to feature stain- or water-repellent chemical treatments.
- Swap teethers. During peak mouthing phases, offer teethers made from 100% natural rubber, untreated wood or solid organic cotton, instead of synthetic plush toys.
- Tackle household dust: Since textile coatings break down over time, chemicals migrate into household dust where infants crawl and play. Regular vacuuming with a HEPA filter and damp-mopping floors helps reduce household dust that may contain PFAS.
