Organic Mattress

Product

I did a bit of research into SIDS and Allergens. Yet, again I decided to take the high road, avoid the standard baby bedding and dish out the $$$ for a no-chemical added wool, organic cotton, and natural rubber mattress.

Most mattresses are sprayed with PBDE a flame retardant. Formaldehyde is also used on mattresses (and cloths in general). It amazes me that when I am in the laboratory people are suppose to handle with care and not expose themselves to these chemicals...but someone approved them to be on your mattress you sleep on and on your cloths you ware... ? ? What is that ? ?

According to the EPA..

What are PBDEs?

Polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs) are members of a broader class of brominated chemicals used as flame retardants; these are called brominated flame retardants, or BFRs. There are dozens of congeners, or varieties of the basic chemical type, of PBDEs.

What are PBDEs used for?

These chemicals are major components of commercial formulations often used as flame retardants in furniture foam (pentaBDE), plastics for TV cabinets, consumer electronics, wire insulation, back coatings for draperies and upholstery (decaBDE), and plastics for personal computers and small appliances (octaBDE). The benefit of these chemicals is their ability to slow ignition and rate of fire growth, and as a result increase available escape time in the event of a fire.

All that is interesting but should you be concerned? I was. You see there were preliminary studies done in the UK and a few other countries showing a link between sprayed mattresses and SIDS. All natural or wrapped mattresses did not seem to have this problem. It seems ones homework doesn't end with school. And now the EPA finally launched a campaign to study the health effects on people and more recently on children.

Luckily so far there is no link to SIDS according to the EPA. Though...

"There is growing evidence that PBDEs persist in the environment and accumulate in living organisms, as well as toxicological testing that indicates these chemicals may cause liver toxicity, thyroid toxicity, and neurodevelopmental toxicity. Environmental monitoring programs in Europe, Asia, North America, and the Arctic have found traces of several PBDEs in human breast milk, fish, aquatic birds, and elsewhere in the environment." As per the EPA. http://www.epa.gov/oppt/pbde/

See Post on PBDE

So where do you find the non-toxic mattress for baby (or you) ? ? ?

Naturepedic

DandelionSummers

Tiny Bird Organics

LifeKind

Obasan