Your baby will spend the majority of her time sleeping during the first year of her life, and as such, you want to choose the healthiest, safest possible mattress, right? In this article we'll discuss the potential health hazards related to conventional mattresses and argue for an organic mattress as a safer alternative for your little bundle of joy.
Your baby is vulnerable as she sleeps. Synthetic mattresses can contain a whole cocktail of chemicals, including things like boric acid (a chemical used to kill cockroaches) or zinc borate, formaldehyde, arsenic, antimony, vinylidene chloride, melamine,polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs), cadmium, dioxins, benzene, phenols, boron, toluene, and more. Many of these chemicals are required on new mattresses by law, yet the companies do not have to disclose to you, the consumer, that the chemicals have been used.
But the health concerns linked to these toxins are real, and especially so for the tiny bodies of our children. Children have much higher metabolisms than adults, yet their immune systems are still developing, making them vulnerable to large quantities of chemicals. Though humans are equipped with systems to eliminate toxins, the quantity and severity of these toxins is a growing concern, most definitely for children.
Take polyvinyl chloride (PVC), for instance. This is a plastic used extensively in mattresses, and is created using phthalates (to make it soft). But phthalates are known hormone disruptors and probably carcinogens. Children who sleep in close contact to these chemicals can experience a wide variety of symptoms, including early onset puberty, reproductive system defects, low fertility, and more. Inside the PVC casing of your baby's mattress is likely polyurethane foam, a highly flammable material that must be treated with flame retardants (such as PBDEs) to protect your child from fire hazards. A recent study conducted by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a consumer watchdog that looks into the environmental health impacts of chemicals used in everyday products, found that levels of PBDEs were three times higher in toddlers than in their mothers. Not only that, but PBDEs were found in high levels in human breast milk and household dust as well as umbilical cord blood.
This is cause for concern because children's bodies are highly susceptible to the effects of PBDEs. Studies have found that exposure to PBDEs during periods of major brain development (such as those found in children) can lead to permanent and significant changes, leading to higher rates of problems such as hyperactivity. Some scientists are also suspicious that the chemicals commonly used in mattresses could be linked to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Although a great deal more research is required to definitively connect the two, the theory suggests that when flame retardants in mattresses such as arsenic and antimony react with a fungus commonly growing in bedding, they combine to form a poisonous gas that can cause a baby's nervous system to shut down, which eventually leads to death.
If there is even a remote possibility that SIDS is connected to mattress toxins, this risk combined with the dangers posed by other chemicals in a child's mattress should be enough for any parent to consider purchasing a natural, organic mattress instead.
Your baby is vulnerable as she sleeps. Synthetic mattresses can contain a whole cocktail of chemicals, including things like boric acid (a chemical used to kill cockroaches) or zinc borate, formaldehyde, arsenic, antimony, vinylidene chloride, melamine,polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs), cadmium, dioxins, benzene, phenols, boron, toluene, and more. Many of these chemicals are required on new mattresses by law, yet the companies do not have to disclose to you, the consumer, that the chemicals have been used.
But the health concerns linked to these toxins are real, and especially so for the tiny bodies of our children. Children have much higher metabolisms than adults, yet their immune systems are still developing, making them vulnerable to large quantities of chemicals. Though humans are equipped with systems to eliminate toxins, the quantity and severity of these toxins is a growing concern, most definitely for children.
Take polyvinyl chloride (PVC), for instance. This is a plastic used extensively in mattresses, and is created using phthalates (to make it soft). But phthalates are known hormone disruptors and probably carcinogens. Children who sleep in close contact to these chemicals can experience a wide variety of symptoms, including early onset puberty, reproductive system defects, low fertility, and more. Inside the PVC casing of your baby's mattress is likely polyurethane foam, a highly flammable material that must be treated with flame retardants (such as PBDEs) to protect your child from fire hazards. A recent study conducted by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a consumer watchdog that looks into the environmental health impacts of chemicals used in everyday products, found that levels of PBDEs were three times higher in toddlers than in their mothers. Not only that, but PBDEs were found in high levels in human breast milk and household dust as well as umbilical cord blood.
This is cause for concern because children's bodies are highly susceptible to the effects of PBDEs. Studies have found that exposure to PBDEs during periods of major brain development (such as those found in children) can lead to permanent and significant changes, leading to higher rates of problems such as hyperactivity. Some scientists are also suspicious that the chemicals commonly used in mattresses could be linked to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Although a great deal more research is required to definitively connect the two, the theory suggests that when flame retardants in mattresses such as arsenic and antimony react with a fungus commonly growing in bedding, they combine to form a poisonous gas that can cause a baby's nervous system to shut down, which eventually leads to death.
If there is even a remote possibility that SIDS is connected to mattress toxins, this risk combined with the dangers posed by other chemicals in a child's mattress should be enough for any parent to consider purchasing a natural, organic mattress instead.
Fashion & Earth provides eco consumers with organic clothes, organic mattress brands and more at affordable prices. With their hassle free return policy and, extremely popular Rewards Program you really have nothing to lose! Go ahead - check them out and experience the feeling of wearing (and sleeping) organic clothing and bedding.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Adrian_Desbarats
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