When you put your
baby to bed, you probably don’t ever think about their bedding, crib, mattress
or blankets harming them; other than the obvious suffocation. You can not see, smell or feel another truly
hazardous aspect of your baby’s bedding; it is the tons of chemicals in
them. They are quite prevalent, even in
baby bedding. Sadly enough, traditional
mattresses, blankets and crib sheets are packed full of pesticides,
fertilizers, phenols, formaldehyde, flame retardants, bleach, dioxins and
dyes. There are so many harsh chemicals
used to grow the cotton and in the production of baby bedding; it is
scary. A baby’s skin can absorb 60% of
what goes on it. In this case chemicals;
and babies’ skin is even more delicate, sensitive and thin than adults. The digestive system and lungs of babies are
fragile and still developing in the first year after birth so therefore it is
even more crucial to choose organic cotton baby bedding and protect your baby’s
development so it can flourish.Providing
organic baby bedding will create a safe and natural environment for your
beloved baby.
Traditional cotton
is grown with chemicals, fertilizers and pesticides. Five of the most used pesticides in
conventional cotton production are naled, trifluralin, cyanide, propargite and
dicofol which are also considered the most dangerous of chemicals and known as
carcinogens meaning cancer-causing. Once
this cotton is picked, it is manufactured with the use of another batch of
chemicals, formaldehyde, toxic fire retardants, bleaches, phenols and
dyes. Then more times than not, the
non-organic baby bedding is packaged in
non-recyclable, less than earth friendly packaging to bog down our landfills. Sadly enough, none of these potentially deadly
chemicals can ever be washed out of the baby blanket or bedding.
Cribs themselves
are another thing to consider when putting your wee one to bed or down for a
nap as they are typically put together with toxic glues, the use formaldehyde
and protected with strong varnishes that can all cause health effects. Natural cribs are made with nothing more than
natural unfinished wood, non-toxic glue and no finish or varnish unless it is
organic beeswax or another organic protective finish. A traditional crib mattress is another health
hazard for a baby as most of them usually are made from polyurethane foam with
a vinyl (PVC) covering. Polyurethane
foam in the middle is made from petroleum with toxic chemical additives and is
potentially toxic and never worth the risk.
The covering polyvinyl chloride or PVC is considered to be one of the
most toxic and environmentally unfriendly plastics used. They are not bound to the vinyl and can leach
out or off-gas into the surrounding air. When these fumes are coming from crib
mattresses, babies are breathing and absorbing them into their tiny developing
bodies 10 - 14 hours a day. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are the primary fire retardant
chemicals which have been used in mattresses for decades. These chemicals are
likely to leach out into the surrounding air. Did you know that the materials in many crib mattresses can expose
babies to potentially toxic chemical gases while they sleep? Many of these chemicals found in cheaper, traditional
baby crib mattresses are considered carcinogenic and have even been linked to
SIDS. When purchasing a truly organic
cotton and/or wool mattress, it is required that all fiber and fabrics used in
the mattress must be made from National Organic Program (NOP) certified
materials and processed in accordance with the Global Organic Textile Standard
(GOTS). All other components (such as
innersprings, fire protection, etc.) must meet stringent non-toxic standards. There certainly are many things to consider
when purchasing bedding, cribs and mattresses for your new baby.
When a baby is
sleeping 10 to 14 hours a day, it is important that they are sleeping on or
with organic baby bedding, organic cotton baby bedding, organic cotton baby
blankets, organic cotton fitted crib sheets and organic baby blankets. A baby’s little developing lungs are not
equipped to handle such strong and so many chemicals. Babies' reproductive, neurological, immune,
and respiratory systems, as well as their livers are still developing. This
makes them more vulnerable to toxic chemicals, since they have a limited
ability to detoxify and excrete the toxins entering their fragile systems. Low
level chemical exposure during the critical period of brain development can
cause more harm than high doses later in life.
Other health effects that non organic baby bedding can potentially cause
are: birth defects, respiratory
problems, behavioural changes, infertility, sterility, hormonal imbalances or
disruptions, chest discomfort, headaches, coughing, breathlessness, dizziness,
weakness, fatigue, nausea, asthma-like allergic reactions, early onset of
puberty, cancer, learning and memory problems, liver and kidney damage, as well as immune suppression.
Non organic baby
bedding is cheap and you may think it is a super deal but you are getting more than
you bargained for; a few/lot of unexpected surprises. These surprises come in the way of harsh
chemical dyes to get the cute colours you think are so adorable, fertilizers,
pesticides which are banned in many countries, formaldehyde and processing
chemicals. If you think that is scary; the scarier fact is that this cocktail
of chemicals never washes out. That
means your treasured little baby is sleeping and cuddling up to or maybe even
chewing on all of these chemicals. And
yes they can all absorb into your baby through the skin and airway. This certainly does not sound like a great
nights sleep to me. All of these
pesticides and chemicals not only can absorbed through close contact but are
responsible for 70% of all problems in U.S. streams and rivers according to the
Environmental Protection Agency. This
includes harming and poisoning the animals and fish who call this home and that
we eat. Yes we eventually eat some of
these harmful chemicals.
Organic baby
bedding means the fabric used to make them has no pesticide residue, no
herbicides, no formaldehyde finishes, no toxic flame retardants, no dioxins
from bleaching and only uses low impact environmental dyes. Organically grown cotton is grown by working
with nature and is the main guiding principle behind organic farming. Organic farmers use biologically-based
systems to raise crops. The processing
and manufacturing process is done without the typical vast use of chemicals,
formaldehyde, harsh dyes or bleaches.
Organic baby bedding is made naturally from cotton that was organically
grown so that the finished product is in its purest state and is the very
safest for your baby. There are enough
worries when you are raising a new baby and their bedding or blankets should not
be one of them. Rest assured your
little bambino will also sleep more comfortably, content and breathe easier; as you
will. I am not saying that they will
magically start sleeping through the night.
I have not found that miracle product yet. Organic cotton baby bedding does have many
health benefits for your little one though.
Those include: less rashes, less
irritable, less headaches, coughing, allergic reactions, breathe easier, less
asthma, less fatigue and generally a happier baby as they are sleeping in a
comfortable surrounding and not absorbing or breathing in tons of chemicals
with every breath.
Purchasing organic
baby bedding; although much more expensive, is a better and more logical choice
for your baby. This is especially true when
your baby spends two thirds of their life sleeping and against these blankets
and organic baby bedding. You get what
you pay for in this instance. You are
paying for the long term health and safety of your baby. You are also paying a premium for what is not
in the organic baby bedding and organic baby blankets. Say no thanks to chemicals, carcinogens,
bleach, formaldehyde and dyes for your infant.
Do your baby a favour and choose organic baby bedding. The increased cost can be considered extra
health coverage that you are paying for; it is well worth it. Trees and Tots carry an abundant selection of
premium organic baby bedding to choose from for your sweet little pea. We carry quality affordable organic crib
mattresses, organic cotton crib mattress pads, organic twin mattresses, organic
cotton mattress protectors, organic cotton and bamboo toddler blankets, organic
playpen protectors and fitted sheets,
organic bassinet mattresses and sheets, organic cotton fitted crib
sheets, organic baby blankets, organic cotton changing pad covers and changing
pads, organic cotton baby blankets, other organic baby bedding and the most
adorable softest exclusive organic cotton security blankets/lovies that you
have ever seen. Feel free to check out
our full line of safe, non-toxic, chemical free and environmentally friendly organic
baby bedding.
