American babies in the womb are steeping in a cocktail polluted by more than 200 chemicals including Teflon, mercury, pesticides and fire retardants, according to a new study released Thursday.

"They are literally born polluted," said New York Democratic Representative Louise Slaughter, calling for greater public pollution control measures as she introduced the report.

"If we ever had proof that our nation's pollution laws aren't working, it's reading the list of industrial chemicals in the bodies of babies who have not yet lived outside the womb.

"Let's not permit our babies of the future to be polluted before they are even born," Slaughter told reporters.

The study by the Environmental Working Group found that hundreds of toxic chemicals including pollutants and pesticides were pumped through the umbilical cord by mothers to their babies.

Tests were conducted on blood samples drawn from 10 babies born in US hospitals in August and September of 2004.

Researchers found that babies averaged 200 contaminants in their blood including mercury, fire retardents, and the Teflon chemical PFOA.

"For years, scientists have studied pollution in the air, water, land and in our food. Recently they've investigated its health impacts on adults. Now we find this pollution is reaching babies during vital stages of development," said EWG Vice President for Research Jane Houlihan.

The EWG is a non-profit public health lobby group.