Dressing newborn babies is a fine art. Getting tiny flailing limbs to shimmy down a long sleeve. Easing a floppy little head through a neck hole. Keeping their infinitesimal socks from falling off their feet. Just when you get it figured out, new tests begin; including the mastery of stain removal and the miraculous feat of keeping a toddler clothed at all. No matter which skill you are perfecting, you will always need to know how to select the safest fabrics.

Many new parents assume that cotton is the best fabric for their baby’s clothes and bedding because it’s a natural fiber, but conventionally grown cotton is one of the most pesticide intensive crops grown in the US. After the cotton is picked and milled into fabric, a soup of chemicals that are known to harm human health are used to dye and finish the fabric. Chemicals like formaldehyde and urea resins are used to increase stain resistance, wrinkle-proofing, and even disinfecting. Most “finishing” chemicals contain volatile organic compounds that are often sensitizers and suspected carcinogens. Often, the clippings from fabric mills are so loaded with chemicals they are handled like toxic waste, while the products made from these materials are considered safe to bring into our homes.

Now take a deep breath and relax – your baby is okay. There are safer options and solutions other than immediately ripping the onesie off your baby. Residues on baby clothing and bedding are minimal and have only been shown to cause contact dermatitis (generally in people with sensitive skin). Still, we really don’t know what long term health impacts may arise from the subtle, but constant exposure to chemicals in clothing and bedding.

Luckily, we don’t have to wait to find out. We can select safer fabrics today:

Organic Cotton: Perhaps the most obvious choice is organic cotton, grown without the use of pesticides. Look for options that are not only grown organically, but are also untreated (i.e. they are finished and dyed using natural, non-toxic processes). You can also look for organic, untreated wool which is naturally fire-resistant and a good choice for children’s sleepwear.

Bamboo: Another fabric increasing in popularity is made from bamboo, which has a natural softness and sheen similar to silk or cashmere. Bamboo is completely biodegradable and can be grown without pesticides or chemicals. Look for fabrics certified by Oeko-Tex which ensures that fabric made from bamboo fibers is chemical-free.

Hemp: Surprising to some, hemp is another option and is naturally pest resistant so requires few, if any, of the pesticides used on conventional cotton. Still, there’s no certification process, so you can’t be sure that the hemp has been grown pesticide-free.

More options: Other choices include linen, soy, inego (corn-based), and even recycled plastic (which Patagonia has been using in their fleece for quite some time). Given the textile industry’s penchant for pollution and people’s growing concern over the health of the planet, new eco-fabrics are popping up everywhere. You just need to do a little research.

While the availability of safer fabrics is increasing, you may find that your baby budget needs to increase in order to purchase them. Unfortunately, green garments typically are more expensive than their conventional counterparts. For example, a conventional cotton onesie costs about $2; an organic cotton onesie is about $15-$20 (although through some persistent hunting I did find some for $5); and a bamboo onesie will cost you about $20 – $25.

The good news: Eco-fabrics, in addition to being safer for your baby and the planet, are also more durable, meaning they’ll last longer (if you master stain removal). Still, babies grow out of clothes extremely fast, so what good is durability? Hold on to them for potential siblings, trade with friends and family, sell them at consignment shops or on-line. They are beautiful, high-quality garments meant to last, and healthier for the planet, which our children will inherit.

If you can’t afford organic, natural fibers, don’t fret. The big rule is to always wash all fabrics, stuffed toys, linens before they come in contact with your little one – preferably in a non-toxic laundry soap. Also, the greenest option is also the cheapest option: buy second hand. Gently used clothing has typically been washed enough times already to eliminate any fears of chemical residues. So don your green-halo and hit the thrift stores, Craigslist, Freecycle, or Ebay. With the money you save, treat your baby to a luxurious untreated, organic cotton blanket that he’ll use for years.

You can start your eco-layette today by visiting the following sites: CottonMonkey.com, Babysoyusa.com, Bamboosa.com, Ecowise.com, Greenbabies.com, Kee-ka.com, KidBean.com, Nuiorganics.com, Positively-organic.com, Purebeginnings.com, Sagecreeknaturals.com, Speesees.com, Underthenile.com.

^{Sources:
Waste Couture: Environmental Impact of the Clothing Industry
Health and Environmental Impacts in Finishing Industry (RTF)
Chemicals and Textiles
Allergic Contact Dermatitis in Children}

There is something going on in nurseries around this country of which unsuspecting new moms and dads are unaware.  Furniture, wall paint, fabric finishes like stain repellants and flame-retardants, and cleaning products all have the potential to send harmful chemicals into the nursery air, slowing turning it into a chemical soup environment.  It sounds scary, but it doesn’t have to be.

TIMING

Babies sleep on average anywhere from fourteen to eighteen hours a day, much of that time spent breathing in the nursery’s air. Many scientists are coming to believe that children are more vulnerable in the face of environmental toxins and other hazards than adults. This is because pound for pound infants and young children consume more food and water, and breathe more air than we do as adults. Their air intake, on a body-weight basis, is twice that of adults. And before they turn six months old babies will drink, pound for pound, seven times as much water and, by the time they’re five years, eat four times as much food. Their skin is more permeable and their still developing internal organs and systems are less adapted to and able to eliminate certain chemicals.

What all this boils down to is that you need to pay particularly close attention to the food babies eat, the water they drink, and the air they breathe. I know, it sounds a little scary and truthfully it is. But there is a lot that you can do to make it better.

Certainly picking the right materials and design elements is crucial, but so is the timing of it all. To allow proper off-gassing time, do all major remodeling months in advance.

Pregnant women and small children shouldn’t be near the work. If you do have to buy conventional furniture items, simply allow them ample time (a few months is best) to off-gas either off site or in a well-ventilated room long before you bring baby home.

Even blankets, diapers, and baby clothes should be washed ahead of time to remove any chemical residues from the manufacturing process. Be sure to wash these in a non-toxic detergent that is, at very least, free of synthetic fragrances.

Taken from “Sara Snow’s Fresh Living “ by Sara Snow

SIDS rates have fallen dramatically since the 1990′s when we learned that putting babies to sleep on their backs could save lives. To understand the SIDS situation today, researchers conducted studies in 20 regions of Europe, analyzing over 60 possible influences on SIDS in over 3,000 babies. The results were published in the January 17, 2004 Lancet. Sleep position continues to be the biggest SIDS risk factor we can change.

About 48 percent of current SIDS deaths were attributable to being put on the tummy or side to sleep. About 36 percent of SIDS deaths were attributed to the baby’s sleeping in a room other than the parent’s room. About 16 percent of the deaths were attributed to bed sharing. The big risk with bed sharing came from sleeping with parents who smoked or who consumed alcohol – the risk rising with each drink. Sleeping with a mother who smoked (particularly during pregnancy) multiplied the risk of dying of SIDS by more than 13 times. Apart from smoking and drinking, bed sharing posed little or no added risk of SIDS. Paying attention to sleep position and sleeping arrangements can still save many lives.

In November 2002, thousands of Kidz Club flashlights were recalled by Eveready Battery Co. in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. These multicolored plastic and metal flashlights can overheat enough to cause the batteries to leak and pose a risk of burns to children. The inexpensive flashlights were popular items in discount department and toy stores.

In a separate recall the same month, Halo Burger voluntarily recalled about 9,500 flashlights and batteries that were distributed in kids’ meals and sold individually. The batteries provided with these flashlights can leak, and the flashlights can be disassembled into small parts that can pose a choking hazard to young children.

Saving money on kids’ toys is appealing, but when choosing toys for children this holiday season, select toys that seem durable and well-made. If the toys might be used by children under 3, pay special attention to small parts that eager children might remove and place in the mouth.

Even though only about 160 children die per year from choking, over 17,000 children have choking episodes serious enough to send them to the emergency room, according to the October 25, 2002 issue of the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Children under age 1 are at the highest risk, but choking can occur at any age. Foods are the most common items causing choking, with candy and gum leading the list. Watch out for nuts, popcorn, and other foods that don’t dissolve well in the mouth, Among the non-food items, coins lead the list. Also watch out for beads, balloons, and small toy parts.

As parents we can do a lot to reduce the risk of choking — but we cannot eliminate it. For this reason I recommend that every parent be trained to rescue a choking child. You can learn this important skill (among others) in a Red Cross Infant/Child CPR Course or in a American Heart Association Basic Lifesaving Course.