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It is heartbreaking for me to see well-meaning
and excited new parents decorating their new baby's nursery by painting it,
installing new carpeting, and buying a crib with a brand-new foam or
synthetic mattress. I did some of these things when I was pregnant; I knew
better, but I wanted to be "normal" (and not chemically sensitive) and
provide standard things for my baby like everybody else did. I bought a new
foam crib mattress, discarding it when my daughter spent her first night
there after sleeping in a bassinet for a few months.
That first night in her
new crib, she tossed and turned all night long, exposed to the neurotoxic
fumes outgassing from the foam. Fortunately for her, I knew the symptoms of
central nervous system agitation, and I removed the offending fumes from her
life the next day. Often, a mother-to-be paints the nursery, first exposing
her baby to the fumes in utero and then from the outgassing paint when the
baby sleeps in the room after birth.
The nesting impulse is powerful before
the birth of a baby, and I am not advocating that parents squelch this
natural desire. Instead, they should be aware of chemical exposure and put
their decorating efforts into nontoxic approaches (for example, non-VOC
paint, natural carpet, and organic bed linens), which won't increase their
baby's burden of chemical exposure. Mothers & Others for a Livable
Planet: Guide to Natural Baby Care by Mindy Pennybacker and Aisha
Ikramuddin is a good book on the subject and is full of ideas and resources.
Paint and Carpeting
Want to take the first step in ensuring a
healthy nursery? Find out whether there is lead paint on the walls! Lead
paint was not sold after 1978, but the walls of any home built prior to 1978
could be problematic.
As cozy as carpeting may appear to be for a
nursery, it can be a reservoir of dust mites, mold, mildew, and VOCs. If
there is old carpeting in the nursery, pull it up and replace it with
untreated hardwood floors or floors treated with a water-based, low-VOC
finish. If carpet is a must for the nursery, choose completely untreated
carpeting with natural latex or jute backing.
Much of today's furniture is made of
pressed wood, something to avoid because of the formaldehyde in the glues
that will continually outgas for the entire life of the piece. Choose real
wooden furniture instead. Yard sales offer abundant supplies of simple
furniture for very little cost. And what about a changing table? If it is
going to be covered with any kind of plastic, the older the better, and the
more used the better, as long as it is still safe and sturdy. You want the
plastic to be completely outgassed before putting it in the nursery.
Toxic Crib Mattresses
In a study of six brands of crib-size
waterproof mattress covers conducted by Anderson Laboratories, all were
found to emit toxic fumes in various degrees, and some caused acute toxicity
to the respiratory tract of male mice. Five of the mattress covers were made
of polyvinyl chloride covered with cotton or polyester layers. The remaining
cover was made of polyolefin. Chemical emissions included suspected
carcinogens.
Crib and bassinet mattresses made of
organic, natural materials are now widely available online, through
catalogs, or in natural product stores. For the largest selection, go to
your favorite online search engine and type "organic baby." Retailers who
are likely to sell organic bedding for babies are also likely to offer safe
accessories, including nontoxic toys.
If buying an organic mattress isn't
feasible, enclose a standard crib mattress with a cotton barrier cloth.
Avoid plastic or polyurethane encasements. To prevent moisture from seeping
onto the mattress from leaking diapers, invest in an absorbent "wool puddle
pad," designed to insert between the sheet and mattress. Avoid pillows until
the baby is at least 1 year old, and after that, invest in a natural fiber,
organic pillow.
Reprinted from: Home Enlightenment: Practical, Earth-Friendly Advice for
Creating a Nurturing, Healthy, and Toxin-Free Home and Lifestyle by
Annie B. Bond © 2005 Annie B. Bond. Permission granted by Rodale, Inc.,
Emmaus, PA 18098.
Annie B. Bond is considered an
authoritative voice on the natural lifestyle. In her work and her books, she
offers advice for creating a home that is in harmony with the earth. Her
journey toward health led to her first bestseller, Clean & Green, and
then to The Green Kitchen Handbook and Better Basics for the Home.
Annie is also an intuitive energy healer and dowser. She is the executive
producer of Care2.com's Healthy Living channel, editing six free
e-newsletters that are sent to 1.8 million subscribers; and she hosts
Annie's Healthy Living Network in Care2Connect, where she also posts
a blog. Annie is also a columnist for Body+Soul magazine. Visit her
Web site at
www.homeenlightenment.com.
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