Consider An Organic Mattress For Your Child
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by: Thegreeningjourney | Total views: 146 | Word Count: 553
As soon as a couple finds out they are going to be parents the planning begins. They start buying the tiny clothes, choosing the room for the nursery, buying all the furniture that this new little person will need and baby proofing the house by moving breakables and installing all the latest in safety gadgets. Unfortunately many of these new parents go out and buy the most dangerous version of the one item their baby will be spending most of it's time in contact with the crib mattress.
Babies sleep up to 16 hours a day and while parents are given lots of information on the position the baby should sleep in, they are given little to no information on the type of mattress their baby should be sleeping on. Conventional crib mattresses are made of synthetic materials that have known and suspected hazards that can be avoided simply through the use of an organic crib mattress.
Polyurethane foam, which fills many conventional crib mattresses, contains a variety of chemical additives. It is a petroleum product, contains known carcinogens and it is extremely flammable. Because of the flammability, manufacturers must treat these mattresses with flame retardants and conventional flame retardants have harmful vapors that can leach out of the mattress and into the air. The vapors have been linked to thyroid problems and other neuro-behavioral disruptions. Most of these flame retardants have been banned in Europe and in the states of California and Washington.
The outer shell and other waterproof parts of conventional crib mattresses are typically made from vinyl or PVC (polyvinyl chloride) which contains phthalates. Phthalates are animal carcinogens and have been linked to damage of the liver, kidneys, lungs and reproductive systems.
Babies, because they are so small and still have a developing immune system, are very vulnerable to chemical exposure and can potentially experience the effects of toxins much easier than adults. It is better to be safe than sorry and to limit our children's exposure to these dangers.
Not only do conventional mattress expose our babies to danger, there is the impact on the environment as well. Petroleum, vinyl and PVC are all hazardous to our environment and have a negative impact when disposed. They don't break down in our landfill for many decades.
Organic crib mattresses are made with eco friendly such as certified organic cotton. This cotton is grown without synthetic pesticides, heavy metals or genetically modified organisms. It is grown in a sustainable and responsible manner that is very environmentally friendly. Organic crib mattresses are protected with non-toxic fire retardants and the waterproof layers in organic crib mattresses are created from polyethylene, which is considered to be non-toxic and environmentally friendly.
The one thing to remember when looking for an organic crib mattress is to double check the product information to ensure the mattress is made from 100% organic fibers.
So, it's easy to see that by simply choosing an organic crib mattress, we can eliminate one of the largest sources of exposure to harmful chemicals that our babies might have. Organic crib mattresses are not only better for our babies, but better for the environment, since once they are disposed of, there are no chemicals leaching into the ground water and the organic materials simply break down and returns to the earth that they came from. The choice is an obvious one.
About the Author
Oliver Feakins is a marketing representitive for The Greening Journey, a green trade show located in Punta Gorda, Florida. Visit http://www.thegreeningjourney.com for more information
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