Organic Baby Products
Posted on 10.23.2007
By Colleen Hurley, RD Certified Kid’s Nutrition Expert
After the recent discovery of lead in children’s toys and furniture, many parents are thinking beyond the plate in regards to organics. As any parent knows, babies put just about everything they can get their hands on into their mouth. Its time to start thinking about what your baby comes into contact with throughout her day, not just what she eats.
Why go organic? Isn’t organic food enough?
Let’s not forget that skin is an organ and that what you put on your body goes in your body. Adult skin can absorb up to 60% of the chemicals it comes into contact with. A baby’s skin is 5-times thinner than that of an adult so you can imagine they are absorbing even more of what they touch.
Some of the same benefits of organic food can apply when buying organic baby products:
- Prevents allergies: avoiding chemicals in the products you use can prevent allergic reactions in your baby
- Avoids accidental ingestion: as we said, babies tend to put everything in their mouths so it is best to be aware of what types of products you have around the house that your baby might be getting into
- Saves resources: by using healthy products, you are helping to save the environment for your baby to grow up in
- Protects her skin: your baby’s skin is far more prone to reactions than yours
- Avoids respiratory distress: synthetic materials are often the cause of infant respiratory problems
- Helps his immune system: your baby’s immune system is immature and unable to process harmful chemicals
When it comes to clothing and bedding, the picture isn’t much prettier:
- It takes one pound of fertilizers and pesticides to grow enough cotton for 1 shirt
- Cotton accounts for 25% of the world’s pesticide use
- 50% of Egyptian cotton workers suffer from chronic pesticide poisoning including vision and neurological disorders
- A pesticide containing runoff from cotton fields killed 240,000 fish in Alabama in 1995
- A label may say 100% cotton but it still is filled chemicals
- Chemicals used on cotton are known carcinogens (cancer causing agents)
Some of you may be thinking that we all grew up wearing polyester and other chemical laden clothing while sleeping in lead painted cribs and we turned out just fine. However, the proof is in the evidence. We, as a nation have more chronic disease than ever seen before. The medical community has had to create new names of illnesses for clusters of symptoms that our parents never had. It is not that our bodies have undergone vast evolutionary changes, but our environment and manufacturing practices most certainly have.
As with food, organic baby products must be labeled “certified organic” or “100% organic” for you to know what you are getting. Organic baby products also tend to be a bit more expensive than their conventional counterparts. It is important you read labels and do what is best for your family within your means. Just like in the recent case of the lead-filled baby toys, it wasn’t until kids were becoming chronically ill for no apparent reason that they began to look at what the children were touching. By knowing exactly what you are providing for your family, you will be aware of any potentially harmful chemical in the house, not just on your plates, but in your closets, dressers, and toy boxes.
Here are a few companies specializing in organic baby products:
The Baby Mum-Mum Blog