Organic Baby Blog – News & Tips on Organic Parenting

FDA Warns of Infant Exposure to BPA

January 18th, 2010

The Food and Drug Administration is encouraging families to limit their children’s exposure to a chemical found in thousands of household products.

CBS News correspondent Kelly Wallace reports that, for years, concerned mothers, environmental groups and some scientists have been warning that Bisphenol A, commonly known as BPA, is unsafe, and can lead to cancers, diabetes and other diseases.

Tags: bottles, BPA, recalls, safety, video
Posted in Baby Product Safety | 1 Comment »

Tylenol Voluntarily Recalls Some Children & Infant Products

September 29th, 2009

From Tylenol.com:

“You may have heard that McNeil Consumer Healthcare (the makers of TYLENOL®) is voluntarily recalling certain lots of Children’s and Infants’ TYLENOL® liquid products that were manufactured between April, 2008 and June, 2008. All products manufactured met internal specifications. However, the company is implementing this recall because during this period, an unused portion of one inactive ingredient did not meet all quality standards. Therefore, as a precautionary measure, it was decided to recall all Children’s and Infants’ TYLENOL® liquid products listed below, which were made during this time.”

Recalled Products – Full List

Tags: recalls, safety
Posted in Baby Product Safety, General | No Comments »

Buying Baby Bedding

August 20th, 2009

There are so many options for expecting parents as to what type of baby bedding to buy.  You can easily spend a little of a lot, go for simple or go for luxury.  A lot of new or expecting mommies and daddies could certainly use a few pointers to help with picking out the baby’s cozy new bedding.  In that light here you go:

1. Buy Extra Sheets

During their first year newborn babies can create many messes and it is always prudent to be prepared to deal with them as they happen.  One of the best ways to be prepared is to have anywhere from 1 to 4 extra sheets ready to go when messes occur, and they well.

2. Make Sure Everything Fits

Although most baby bedding is made to a standardized crib size it is still a good idea to go ahead and make sure that everything fits before the baby is born, this will give you time to make any changes if necessary.  You really want to aim for a snug fit from the crib bedding to the mattress for the most safety conscience setting.  Once you have a good snug fit then go ahead and wash all the bedding both for hygiene and also that washing will help make the materials soft for your child’s comfort.  Remember that baby’s skin is much more sensitive then ours.

3. Planning for the Future

Here are some thoughts on budgeting.  There are many purchases that you can really skimp on when baby planning and others that it is wise to invest a little more.  Baby bedding falls into the later category.  Most standard sized baby bedding will seamlessly transfer from cribs to toddler beds, this means you really can get much more use out of it then just the infant stage.

Tags: baby, bedding, crib, cribs, mattresses, organic, safety
Posted in General, Organic Baby Bedding, Organic Crib Mattresses | No Comments »

Johnson & Johnson Refuses to Remove Cancer Causing Chemicals from Baby Products

May 26th, 2009

Last Friday a letter signed by 50 groups representing about 1.7 million people was sent to William Weldon, the CEO of Johnson & Johnson.  The letter was asking the company to reformulate it’s iconic baby shampoo and other care products to be free of the cancer causing chemicals 1,4-dioxane and formaldehyde.  The widespread response it in reaction to a recent study showing many J&J products as containing small amounts of these dangerous chemicals.  The response from Johnson & Johnson response was that they have no immediate plans to take steps toward removing the chemicals and that their are many regulatory agencies in the world that consider the trace levels of these chemicals to be safe.  There are others of course who do not.  The true concern is not that Johnson & Johnson Baby Shampoo in and of itself has dangerous levels of 1,4-dioxane and formaldehyde, but that it in combanation with the many other care products from Johnson & Johnson among other companies eventually will add up to dangerous levels.  The chemicals could be removed from the products at additional cost, as in Japan where regulations prevent the use of chemicals that will create formaldehyde.  J&J products do not contain formaldehyde in Japan.  At the very heart of this ordeal is the fact that although cosmetic care products are obsorbed into our bodies they are not regulated for safety in the United States, a fact that cosmetic companies have lobbied hard to maintain.

Tags: safety, toxins
Posted in Baby Product Safety, General | 5 Comments »

Dangerous Chemicals in Common Baby Care Products

May 20th, 2009

Here is some rather startling information put fourth recently by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics report, “No More Toxic Tubs”.

The CSC commissioned an independent laboratory to analyze the contents of 48 products marketing for use by babies for the two cancer-causing chemicals formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane.  The real concern is not neccessarily that one product may contain small amounts of these dangerous chemicals but that many of them would and the small amounts would add up and potentially lead to illness.  Both of these chemicals are known carcinogens and are associated with a number of health problems.  Many countries have laws restricting the use of these chemicals in care products, the United States is not one of those countries.  Formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane are not intenionally added to products.  Formaldahyde is a by-product of many commonly used preservatives.  1,4-dioxane is a by-product of chemical processing and can be removed from the product but manufacturers are not required to do so under current law.  Common ingredients likely to be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane include PEG-100 stearate, sodium laureth sulfate, polyethylene and ceteareth-20.

source: The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics

Tags: safety, toxins
Posted in Baby Product Safety, General | 3 Comments »

Baby Crib and Bedding Safety

May 4th, 2009

The first three things new or expecting parents think of when arranging the space that their baby will be sleeping in are comfort, aesthetics, and above all else, safety.  A newborn baby’s crib and bedding easily conjure cozy images of duck-dappled or teddy bear adorned bedding, lining cribs that may be or may someday become a family heirloom.  Infants can spend anywhere from eleven to sixteen hours a day sleeping; this alone places their crib and bedding among the most important aspects of their new life.  Disturbingly however, the crib is also host to the leading cause of infant death in the country, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS. When combined with the fact that well over a million cribs have been recalled in the last few years, it is paramount for new parents to have a strong understanding of baby crib and bedding safety.  Here are some safe bedding guidelines laid out by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

•    Lay baby on his or her back on a firm mattress that fits tightly into a crib that meets current safety standards.

•    Take out any excess comforters, stuffed toys, and pillows.

•    Look into using sleep clothing as an alternative to blankets.

•    If using a blanket be sure to tuck it in under around the crib mattress and reaching up only as high as the infant’s chest.

•    Room temperature should be comfortable for an adult in light clothing.

•    Make sure child’s head remains uncovered during sleep.

Although the cause of SIDS is still a topic of debate, some experts maintain that off-gassing by chemicals used in baby bedding is the culprit.  One way to sidestep this possible problem is to avoid potentially toxic chemicals in your baby’s crib and bedding.  It is advised when budgeting for your child’s sleep setup that you consider organic bedding options.  It is also a good idea to occasionally check the US Consumer Product Safety Commission’s website for any recalls.  Knowledge is the most effective tool in ensuring that the choices you make regarding your baby’s crib and bedding are the right choices to preserve your baby’s safe and happy development.

Tags: baby, bedding, crib, safety, SIDS
Posted in Organic Baby Bedding | 1 Comment »