Toxins in Children's Clothing

Toxins in Children's Products Need to Be Taken Seriously

“Children are not little adults. Their small, developing bodies receive greater exposures by weight than adults to contaminants in air, water, food, and everyday products. In addition, their immature metabolism and organ systems are typically less capable of fending off chemical assaults. And subtle damage to developing bodies that does not trigger immediate health effects may lead to disease later in life.”

~Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database

Children are at a greater risk of illness from toxic chemicals than adults - the skin of an infant is soft and permeable, and has less protective barriers than adult skin against chemicals. Indeed, a recent National Academy of Sciences study suggests that environmental factors contribute to at least 28 per cent of childhood developmental disabilities.

The dangers of toxins in children's products are in thousands of everyday products used by new parents who are trying to give their children the best start in life. But taking the time to do a little research on the toxins in children’s products can make a massive difference in your family’s wellbeing.

Toxins in Children’s Clothing

Flame retardants, commonly PBDEs, are found in children’s clothing, particularly pyjamas, their crib mattresses, sheets and beds.

Manufacturers began adding the chemicals in an attempt to protect children from the threat of fire. But a swag of research has shown that PBDEs are likely to do more harm than good to growing bodies. These chemicals are particularly well absorbed into the body and transported through fatty compounds _ and as children’s diets are higher in fats necessary to promote brain growth, the chemicals are more easily absorbed.

Environment California has tested a range of products designed for infants and children, and has published its results for concerned parents.

Whenever possible, buy pure, organic clothing and other products for your children.

We will bring you more information about toxins in kids toys, bedding and personal products in future blog entries.

Household Cleaning Products - What Are They Doing To Us?

Here's what Nancy Green ,author of 'Poisoning Our Children' has to say:

"Household cleaning products are among the most toxic substances we encounter daily. In one study conducted over a 15 year period, women who stayed home all day had a 54 percent higher death rate from cancer that women who had jobs away from the home."

Wow. So just think of what they are doing to our children's little undeveloped bodies.

Here's another quote, this time by the Cancer Prevention Coalition:

"Approximately 70,000 chemicals are now in commercial production, many of which are used in household products. Many of these chemicals accumulate in the human body and cause cancer and other diseases, yet they have been inadequately tested or remain completely untested for their safety. About 600 of these chemicals are KNOWN to cause cancer."

The everyday products you use in your home, unless completely natural or organic, contain chemicals that are absorbing into your child's body, either by skin contact or through breathing the fumes.

So when you dust with furniture spray, glass cleaner, or you polish the floor or the table or clean the toilet, clean the oven, wash the windows, scrub the bathtub, you are subjecting your child to these chemicals each and every time.

We recommend using a totally ORGANIC cleaner. Some SAY they are organic, but how the heck are you supposed to know if it really is organic. Did you know that because of loopholes in the law, companies can use one organic component in a product and advertise it as organic, even though all the other ingredients are synthetic chemicals/

Please. Please. Go and get the rest of the story here.

Please read and research and help us to spread awareness about the toxins in household cleaning products and how they affect us and our children.

Please check back with us often.

Why an Organic Crib Mattress?

Welcome to the first edition of our blog.

Today we are going to talk about crib mattresses. Did you hear the news yesterday about using a fan in your baby's room? They say that it may cut down on SIDS - Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

A FAN? Really?

Basically what they said was that the fan will blow away the carbon dioxide built up by the baby's exhaled breaths. This may be - but it is likely only part of the story - an over simplification what what our research has shown.

Ready for this?

A growing number of scientists are linking Sudden Infant Death Syndrome to babies being poisoned by their crib mattress.

What they are saying is that the baby’s sweating and spit up etc creates a common fungus, Scopulariopsis brevicaulis within the mattress.

The chemicals in the FLAME RETARDANTS and preservatives used in crib mattress react with the fungus, and this results in the production of three nerve gasses: phosphine, arsine and stibine, all of which can be very deadly, especially to infants.

Perhaps the fan will also help to blow away these gases. Why create the gases in the first place?

What is probably better yet, is to use an organic mattress that is naturally flame retardant.

A natural, organic latex mattress with wool batting and an organic cotton exterior is superior to any other.

This is what I provided for my (now 1 year old) granddaughter, Sophie. Knowing what I know, I could not think of her sleeping on a vinyl mattress.

Sure, that mattress will cost more than a cheap vinyl mattress, but some things are just worth it.
Flame retardants do more than mix with the fungus, thus producing those gases. There is an increasing body of research that shows that the chemicals used to protect us from fire, could be putting a whole generation at risk of cancer, thyroid disruption, immune system deficiency, and problems with the development of the reproductive systems and impaired learning and development in children.

You can find out more at http://www.organiccribmattresses.com/ . You will also find links there to other topics of interest, like toxnis in children's products, toxins in household cleaners etc.

I will look forward to meeting you here again in a week or so, with information on another topic. Thanks for coming by.

Sharon

P.S. That's Sophie and I over to the right.