The Importance of Choosing a Crib Mattress

Sometimes we will sacrifice on many things for ourselves, when it comes to our kids as we only want the best and want to try to protect them from all harms of life. So, although I’m not the typical treehugger mom, I did try to be conscious of my food intake and what other cosmetics I used during pregnancy and once we started shopping for our baby nursery I knew that some things are just off limits for me. After having done my research and read all about the toxins used in most conventional baby mattresses, I got on the hunt for an organic baby mattress, but when we began to shop for one, we were shocked at the prohibitive prices.  We surfed the net and visited all the local baby shops, and even if I was up to spending those prices, I did not find one mattress that would make me feel like it’s worth spending on. Either they had vinyl on the cover for waterproofing or when I did my research on the fire retardants they used, it just did not seem to be all that pure.  So I thought what about all the parents out there who wanted the best for their children, but couldn't afford it? Should health have a price tag?  And what about all those children, who were daily being exposed to chemicals and noxious substances, when a healthier option can be made available! So I started really researching this, until I was clear on what’s ok and which ingredients we really wanted to avoid at all costs and with the birth of our first son.

 Why am I stressing on the importance of a baby mattress vs any other baby product and this is why:

1. Other products like cribs, bedding, etc. if they’re not organic/green they will be made of synthetic fibers which although they’re not recommended for other reasons, certainly not harmful. However with mattresses, according to the CPSIA regulations all mattresses have to be tested for fire proofing. Now in order to achieve that, specific chemical treatments are used on the mattresses, which are highly toxic and may cause respiratory infections, and other childhood ailments. Other mattresses are constructed of polyurethane foam, which is highly flammable as well, thus requiring the mattress to be coated with dangerous chemicals in order to make them flame retardant. Themost frightening part is that these toxins create chemical emissions that get stronger with time. These harmful off-gases permeate throughout the room, causing further contamination to our environment.  Various childhood disorders have been directly linked to those chemicals that children have been exposed to from birth.
2. Other chemicals and materials, such as formaldehyde, polyurethane, and pesticides and herbicides, used in the production of the mattresses are just as dangerous.  Formaldehyde irritates the skin, eyes, nose and throat and can cause cancer as well.  People with asthma are particularly sensitive to formaldehyde particles in the air.
3. The reason why I singled out mattresses is that babies tend to sleep a minimum of 14 hours a day, spending more than half of  their days breathing into the surface of the mattress. You certainly would not want them exposed to these harsh chemicals, especially when they’re so pure and don’t have the proper immunity to battle these chemicals.