| iv id="body"> | | | | health risk. Pregnant women should also be careful to |
| Would you expose your newborn baby to | | | | avoid areas where anything that may contain lead |
| formaldehyde, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) | | | | based paint is being sanded or refinished. |
| and pesticides? Of course not! Even if you were told, it | | | | Household Cleaners and Baby Bath Items |
| shouldn't affect your baby's health, you wouldn't want | | | | Most household cleaners are toxic chemicals. Consider |
| to take that chance. Yet one of the first things we do | | | | using cleaners that are made from plant and vegetable |
| as expectant parents is to prepare a nursery for our | | | | based ingredients and essential oils for fragrance. |
| baby. We paint, buy a crib, mattress, and bedding and | | | | Rather than using a synthetic cleaner on tile or linoleum |
| perhaps even install new carpeting in the room that our | | | | flooring where a child will crawl and play, use a stream |
| baby will spend the majority of their first year. | | | | cleaner which will disinfect without the use of |
| | | | chemicals. |
| Did you know that these products contain | | | | While there are many bath soaps and shampoos on |
| formaldehyde, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, pesticide | | | | the market made especially for baby, often these are |
| residues and other chemicals that could affect your | | | | just milder versions of the adult formula. Read the |
| baby's health and development? | | | | labels and ask yourself if you would want those |
| It's bad enough that we expose ourselves to these | | | | ingredients (Yes...even the ones you can't pronounce) |
| chemicals but it is even worse for our children. Babies | | | | inside your baby's body. The skin acts as a barrier for |
| are more susceptible to the effects of toxins than | | | | some chemicals however many are absorbed through |
| adults for several reasons. The most obvious reason | | | | the skin, a process which is aided by the warmth and |
| is that babies are much smaller and therefore have a | | | | moisture while bathing. Natural soaps, lotions and oils |
| lower tolerance to toxins. Babies are also developing | | | | are always the best choice for your baby. |
| very rapidly and any chemical that interferes with the | | | | Carpeting |
| growth and development process is going to have a | | | | Traditional carpeting and the adhesives sometimes |
| greater effect on them as compared to an adult. | | | | used in its installation can be a toxic nightmare. |
| Babies also take in more air than adults in relation to | | | | Carpeting contains too many VOCs to name them all |
| their body size which means they are breathing in | | | | but include neurotoxins like toluene and xylene and |
| more toxins than an adult. Finally, many toxic gasses | | | | carcinogens such as benzene and formaldehyde |
| commonly found in the home are heavier than air and | | | | which may off gas into the air for years. Older carpet |
| settle near the floor where children play. | | | | contains years of accumulated dust and dirt that may |
| There are many measures we can take as parents to | | | | contribute to the development of asthma. Pesticides |
| make our home a more natural, safer place to raise | | | | tracked indoors from shoes also build up in carpeting |
| healthy children. Listed below are the sources of many | | | | over time. There are many other flooring options |
| common household toxins and what you can do to | | | | besides carpeting that are now coming into |
| eliminate or reduce the risk of exposure for your baby | | | | mainstream design. Cork flooring is beautiful, soft and |
| and yourself. | | | | environmentally friendly. Bamboo is another beautiful |
| Flame Retardants | | | | environmentally friendly option. Just make sure that the |
| Flame retardants are probably one of the first toxins | | | | manufacturer and the installer do not use any glues |
| your baby will encounter in the home. Even though it | | | | containing formaldehyde. Natural fiber area rugs are |
| may seem like you never get any sleep with a | | | | another option which can be laid on cork, bamboo or |
| newborn in the house, babies actually do a lot of | | | | tile floors to define a space or to give your baby a |
| sleeping--about 60% of their first year! That is a lot of | | | | soft spot to land while learning to walk. Some people |
| time to spend in close contact with a mattress treated | | | | just love the look and warmth of wall to wall carpeting |
| with flame retardants called PBDEs. Several animal | | | | and for those there is low VOC carpeting made from |
| studies have found that PBDEs build up in the body | | | | recycled plastic which is even more durable an stain |
| over time and exposure during critical growth periods | | | | resistant than traditional carpeting. |
| may cause irreversible reproductive and nervous | | | | Indoor Air Pollution |
| system damage(1). PBDEs are chemically similar to | | | | The toxins from the sources above and more fill the |
| PCBs which were banned in 1976 after they were | | | | air in our homes. We hear reports about smog and air |
| found to cause cancer and affect the immune, | | | | pollution but according to the EPA, indoor air pollution |
| reproductive, nervous and endocrine system in | | | | may be 3-5 times worse than the air we breathe |
| animals(2). PBDEs are already banned in Europe but | | | | outdoors. Chemicals released into the air build up and |
| unfortunately they are still widely used in the US. An | | | | can not escape especially in newer homes which are |
| organic crib mattress is essential for a healthy nursery. | | | | constructed to be airtight and more energy efficient. |
| Consider purchasing a mattress made with organic | | | | When the weather cooperates we can open the |
| cotton or latex and wool. The wool not only acts to | | | | windows to air out the house but when it is cold or |
| regulate temperature, but is also naturally fire retardant. | | | | when the air conditioner is running there is little air |
| An organic cotton and wool crib mattress will meet the | | | | exchange between indoors and out. In families with |
| same government standards for flammability as a | | | | toddlers, leaving the windows open may pose a |
| chemically treated mattress but is a much more | | | | safety hazard. So what can we do? One of the least |
| natural option and avoids any potential risks of PBDEs. | | | | expenses things we can do is to bring some plants |
| Pesticides | | | | into our home which are able to remove chemicals |
| Most crib bedding is made with cotton, the second | | | | from the air, acting as a purifier. Not all plants are |
| most heavily pesticide treated crop in the world. Of the | | | | created equal in this respect. NASA has tested and |
| top nine pesticides used in cotton farming, five have | | | | ranked twelve species of plants to determine the best |
| been shown to cause cancer and are rated among | | | | at removing trichloroethylene, benzene and |
| the most dangerous by the Environmental Protection | | | | formaldehyde from the air. Here is what they found: |
| Agency. Even more chemicals are added during the | | | | - Gerbera daisy, Dracaena Marginata, Peace lily |
| process to convert the raw cotton into cloth. Because | | | | (Spathiphyllum), Dracaena 'Janet Craig' and Bamboo |
| your baby will spend so much time sleeping, it makes | | | | palm were the five most effective plants in eliminating |
| sense that their crib bedding be free from any | | | | trichloroethylene. |
| pesticide residue or chemical contaminants. When | | | | - Gerbera Daisy, pot Mum, Peace lily, Bamboo palm, |
| shopping for crib bedding, opt for those made with | | | | Dracaena Warneckei, English ivy and Mother-in-law's |
| organic cotton, grown without the use of pesticides. | | | | tongue are the best houseplants for removing |
| Children also love to put their toys in their mouth so | | | | benzene. |
| consider purchasing stuffed animals made from | | | | - Bamboo palm, Dracaena 'Janet Craig', Mother-in-law's |
| organic cotton, especially when babies are teething. | | | | tongue, Dracaena Marginata, Peace lily, green Spider |
| Another source of pesticide exposure is from treating | | | | plant, and golden pothos are the top plants for |
| our homes and yards. Research indicates that children | | | | removing formaldehyde. |
| exposed to higher levels of pesticides had seven | | | | Just remember to give your Gerbera daisy a lot of |
| times the risk of developing childhood Non-Hodgkin's | | | | sun! Based on this study, an 1800 square foot home |
| Lymphoma(3). As an alternative to conventional | | | | would need between 15-20 plants to clean the air. I |
| pesticides, consider using cornmeal in the yard to | | | | love plants and my home is full of them. I think they |
| prevent weed seeds from germinating (available in | | | | create a warm and inviting atmosphere but not |
| many garden shops and online). There are several | | | | everyone wants to feel like they are living in a jungle. In |
| good books written on the subject of natural gardening | | | | addition, some people have allergies which prohibit |
| that provide natural solutions to all kinds of lawn and | | | | them from filling their home with plants. For those |
| garden problems. My personal favorites are books by | | | | people and as an extra layer of protection, consider an |
| Jerry Baker who has literally thousands of tips and | | | | air purifier, especially if any renovation was done to |
| tricks. Inside the home, pesticides made from orange | | | | prepare your baby's nursery. |
| peel are safe, natural and very effective at killing many | | | | There are several different types of air purifiers |
| common pests. | | | | available. The best will have HEPA or HEGA filtration |
| Paint | | | | and will also remove airborne gasses. Beware of air |
| Most paints contain volatile organic compounds (VOC) | | | | purifiers that contain ionizers as they may release |
| that off gas into the air long after the paint has dried. | | | | ozone into the air which is harmful to lung tissue, |
| That wet paint smell is actually due to the VOCs in the | | | | especially for those with asthma. Purifiers are available |
| paint evaporating into the air. Healthier paint alternatives | | | | in a wide range of prices but also consider how much |
| would be a natural paint, zero VOC paint or a low | | | | it will cost to operate in terms of electricity and |
| VOC paint. Natural paints are the healthiest choice. | | | | replacement filters. Consider how noisy a unit is while |
| They are made form natural plant based compounds | | | | running. If you can't leave it run, an air purifier will not |
| and have almost no smell. Zero VOC paints are also a | | | | serve its purpose. |
| safe choice, are very easy to work with, have very | | | | Scary Statistics |
| little or no odor and are widely available and affordable. | | | | While it is impossible to point a finger at one particular |
| By law, paint with 5 grams per liter VOC or less may | | | | chemical, over the last few decades, cancer and |
| be called a zero VOC paint. Tinting the paint may add | | | | asthma rates have increased, learning disabilities have |
| a small amount of VOC but usually not exceeding 10 | | | | increased 191% between 1977 and 1994, autism rates |
| grams per liter VOC which is still very low. To minimize | | | | have skyrocketed 556% over the last ten years |
| the amount of VOCs added by tint, choose a pastel or | | | | nationwide(4) and the rate of premature births is up |
| light color for your baby's nursery. These colors are | | | | 29% since 1981(5). One thing we do know is that as a |
| also very soothing and will help you baby to relax and | | | | nation, our children are getting sicker. |
| fall asleep faster. The VOC content for low VOC | | | | Children learn values through their parent's actions. By |
| paint varies and is usually written on the label. These | | | | making healthy decisions for your baby now, you are |
| paints will often have an odor at least until dry. | | | | teaching them to make healthy decisions for |
| Regardless of what type of paint you are using, if you | | | | themselves later in life. As parents, we want only the |
| are pregnant, it is best to let someone else do the | | | | best for our children. Why take chances with your |
| painting if possible or at least choose safe paint and | | | | baby's health by purchasing products that contain |
| make sure there is adequate ventilation. | | | | harmful chemicals when there are healthy alternatives |
| Lead is another consideration when discussing paint | | | | available? |
| toxins. If your home was built before 1978, it may have | | | | - 1. Science News. Oct 25, 2003, vol 164, p.266 |
| been painted with a lead based paint. Because lead | | | | - 2. |
| can cause developmental problems in children, any | | | | - 3. Cancer. Dec 1, 2000, vol 89 (11) p. 2315-21. |
| chipped paint where it could be ingested poses a | | | | - 4. |