Organic Baby Mattress.Net

If you are curious what harmful chemicals can be found in cot mattresses (and generally in all non-organic mattresses produced nowadays for a large scale) here you will find more information. Sometimes I think we would prefer not to know that. Anyway, in the case of our gentle newborn babies we better be aware what we offer them as a place where they will spend most of their little life at the beginning.

There is a tendency of turning into “green” mattresses now and as long as they are quite expensive compare to the usual ones this may draw aside the decision of making our life a bit healthier by acquiring 100% natural mattress for ourselves. But in the case of our babies we should really consider if not buying an organic baby mattress, then at least any proper natural cover for the usual one to shield the baby as well as possible from all those toxic substances.

I’m not sure whether it was definitely scientifically proven that the toxins coming from cot mattresses are the cause of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), but there are many facts and statistics supporting that conclusion.

Ok, here we have a list of the most common hazardous chemicals and substances found in ordinary non-organic mattresses:

formaldehyde (formalin) – may cause asthma, allergy, suspected carcinogenic factor. Symptoms associated with exposure to formaldehyde fumes include mucous membrane irritation, upper respiratory tract irritation, eye irritation, stuffy nose, skin rashes, itching, nausea, dizziness, headaches, and general fatigue.

polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) – and in particular pentaBDE, used as fire retardants, have properties similar to DDT and have been shown to affect brain development and growth in children. They are associated with liver toxicity, thyroid toxicity, immune suppression, endocrine disruption, cancer, and behavioral problems.

polyvinyl chloride (PVC) – found nearly everywhere in our environment, its surface contains a full spectrum of toxic chemicals like:  phthalates, lead, cadmium, antimony, phosphorus, mercury, dioxins and even arsenic. They are gredually released from PVC plastic, which may pose irreversible life-long health threats.

diethyl hexyl phthalate (DEHP) – the most common additive used in PVC production, potential carcinogen. Phthalates were banned from use in children’s products by the US government but still used in production of mattresses. Phthalates are not silently present in the PVC vinyl surface of a baby mattress, they actually leach out of the PVC plastic. Children may be at higher risk of adverse effects of phthalates because of their developmental and physiologic immaturity.

polyurethane foam – a highly flammable, cheap substance used very commonly in mattresses, highly treated with a host of chemicals to make it flame retardant. Releases deadly gases when it is ignited. Polyurethane foam may cause: possible cardiac arrhythmia, breathlessness, irritation of the lung, eye, and mucous membranes, headache, coughing, asthma-like allergic reaction, dizziness, weakness, fatigue, nausea, blurred vision, reduced pulmonary function, effects on the central nervous system, and even cancer.

fire retardants – polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) mentioned above; modacrylic or polyacrylonitrile (PAN) that are human carcinogens and mutagens; and finally antimony oxide, the fire retardant used in the PVC surfaces, which is a suspected carcinogen. The primary effects from long term exposure to antimony in humans are respiratory effects that include antimony pneumoconiosis, alterations in pulmonary function, chronic bronchitis, chronic emphysema, inactive tuberculosis, pleural adhesions, cardiovascular effects, and gastrointestinal disorders.

unsanitary ingredients – even if a mattress tag states that the mattress is made from “all new materials”, it is nevertheless legally permissible to utilize a variety of questionable materials, including scraps swept off the floor, pig hair, and other such materials.

pesticides – used to treat cotton and latex coming from non-organic farms, that are proven being accumulated in those mattresses comonents.

I hope this certainly not complete list leaves no doubt about how toxic the commonly used mattresses are. I think we will hear more about that in the future but for now, if we only take it seriously, we may try gradually eliminate those sources of toxicity from our houses, bedrooms, and especially nursery rooms.

Here you will find more information

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• Mattresses: the good, the bad and the organic | Green Nursery | giggle Blogs
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