By Colleen Hurley RD, Certified Kid’s Nutrition Specialist
Kids puts their hands on everything in the house, as many parents soon learn as they are cleaning up fingerprints in the oddest of places. Yet trying to pinpoint what toxins kids come in contact with on a daily basis is much less obvious. Thankfully, US lawmakers have recently ensured that a few less chemicals will not be making their way into your children’s’ hands.While it is nearly impossible to safeguard your child from all risks, there are a few easy steps to help keep playtime safe by reducing excess toxin exposure. Whether you are trying to create a “green” home or just taking baby steps toward healthier living, here are 5 simple ways to kids’ toxin exposure:
1. Start with the Nursery: Babies spend the majority of their time during the first few years of life sleeping, so it is a good idea to, at a minimum, be conscientious when planning the nursery.There are many non-toxic paints available on the market labeled No-VOC (volatile organic compounds), which leave a vapor in the air that can cause nausea, dizziness, and irritation of the respiratory tract. Try to forgo carpeting in the nursery as carpet can also be a source of VOC's, but if it is a must be sure to allow ample time for the room to be ventilated before the baby arrives.
2. Try Gently Used Items:Unfinished solid wood baby products, such as cribs and high chairs, are the best “green” option, but can also be rather expensive.To boost sustainability, buying gently used items is a great alternative as many of the VOC’s on any crib finish gas off over time.In addition, purchasing used items helps reduce waste and can help you save money. One caveat: do not purchase used crib mattresses, as they can actually become more toxic over time.
3. Choose Toys Wisely: The past year of toy recalls has parents thinking outside the toy box.Since the US has recently banned lead and phthalates from kids’ products, it is best to begin your toy quest with toys made in the US so you can be assured of product safety standards.Unfortunately, toys can contain more chemicals than lead; ranging from arsenic to mercury.For an extensive shopping guide to purchasing non-toxic toys, visit Healthy Child, Healthy World; a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting children from harmful environmental exposures.
4. Reduce Plastic Use: Despite the fact the Food and Drug Administration has recently declared the chemical bisphenol A (BPA), used in plastic bottles, as safe a new report found BPA can cause developmental problems in the brain and reproductive systems of infants and children.Not only are plastics a health threat to kids and expecting mothers, the overuse of plastic has deeply impacted our environment as creation of plastics requires a great deal of chemical pollutants and plastics degrade slowly. To reduce toxin exposure from plastic bottles:
1. Switch to glass baby bottles if possible and for water, try a SIGG reusable water bottle made with a single piece of aluminum and 100% recyclable.
2. Do not reuse plastic water bottles and replace plastic baby bottles every few weeks
3. Do not put plastic baby bottles in the microwave, dishwasher, or expose to direct heat and allow liquids to cool slightly before pouring into bottles
4.Immediately discard any plastic bottles that have been in direct sunlight for extended periods of time
5. Ditch Household Cleaners: Babies and toddlers touch just about every surface in the house they can get their hands on.While you may like to keep things sanitary, some of those household cleaners can emit toxic chemicals.There are several cleaning products on the market that use essential oils and other natural substances that work just as well.Visit Healthy Child for homemade cleaners.
Baby Nutrition – The 7 Best Gluten-Free Products
— in MumMums blog posted 12 weeks ago By Colleen Hurley, RD, Certified Kids Nutrition Specialist
Whether you or child have celiac disease or have opted to go gluten free for the myriad of health benefits, you may discover that not all gluten free products are created equal. Thanks to th
About this Blog:
The Baby Mum-Mum blog discusses everything to do with babies and parenting with
a focus on child health and child development. Baby Mum-Mum is a healthy, easy
to digest baby rice snack that is enjoyed by babies and mothers around the
world for its portability, gluten free ingredients and great taste. Baby
Mum-Mum is a division of Want-Want Holdings, a manufacturer of healthy snack
foods, beverages and related products since 1962.
