his Q&A blog is open for all to participate. Feel free to ask your own questions and answer questions posted by others. I know all of you have a wealth of information and experience on healthy living and you are welcome to share it here. 
Babies and Kids
Plastics, food containers, toys
I am still confused about plastics. I am not sure which plastics, if any, are safe or recommended.
I am trying to slowly weed out the bad plastics in my house and there is a lot.
I already asked about the storage containers (#5 plastic). I see that most of the plastic food containers are #5 or "PP" as well as my children's sippy cups. Can I assume this plastic leeches?
Also, so many toys are made of plastic. I stopped buying plastic and buy wood when possible, but everyone else buys the plastic toys for the kids. It is not stated on the box or toy what type of plastic is used, and is pretty much impossible to research all the toys. Do you recommend getting rid of these toys?
I think I read in one of your books that they pollute the indoor air...is it true even for the new plastic toys? What about the ones made of #2 plastic (I bought a brand called " Green Toys" which is made of #2).
Lastly, my concern is the plastic container my raw milk is in (#2 HDPE). I can purchase it in a glass, half gallon Ball jar, but my concern with that is that the metal lid contains BPA, I believe. So which would you recommend? My children, including infant, drink the raw milk. I did find plastic lids that fit the glass Ball canning jars which are BPA free.
Would you recommend these? Thanks for all the info.! Plastics are giving me a headache...
I understand and had to smile reading your last sentence...plastics DO cause headaches in more ways than one.
You should assume ALL plastic leaches/outgasses to some degree or another. Hard plastics less than soft plastics. The degree of toxicity of what is leaching/offgassing also varies with the plastic. PP is one of the safer ones, but HDPE is better.
I recommend getting rid of any toys you don't know what they are made of. It's worth the time to check with the manufacturer. If you don't want to do that, toss them.
Toys made of #2 plastic are OK, but even better are toys made from natural materials such as wood and cotton.
Best for your milk would be glass with BPA-free lids, but #2 HDPE is OK. Raw milk is soooo good for your body that drinking it outweighs any possible harm from HDPE.
Oeko-Tex Certified Children's Clothing
I like a particular brand of clothing for my children because some of their clothes are "Oeko-Tex certified," even though they may not be organic.
I buy organic clothing when I can, but for the most part their clothes are 100% cotton and most are Oeko-Tex certified.
I believe you said that organic is not necessary and that pesticides are not detected in cotton clothing. But I want to make sure that buying "Oeko-Tex certified" is the better choice than regular cotton clothing from any brand (Hanna Andersson offers Oeko-Tex certified).
However, Hanna still make lots of clothing with synthetic materials and most, including the organic and Oeko-Tex certified, are made in China. I've also seen synthetic clothing, such as a cotton/spandex blend, that are Oeko-Tex certified.
So is this certification really trustworthy and worth shopping for? F course their clothing is more expensive than other brands that make cotton clothing (such as Carter's)' so I want to make sure I am spending more money where it is important! Thank you so much again!
The Oeko-Tex Standard 100 or Öko-Tex Standard 100 is an international testing and certification system for textiles, developed in 1992.
It centers around a list of harmful substances used in textile production, which are tested for. The list of harmful substances is based on the latest scientific findings and is continually updated.
Read more about this standard at Q&A: Oeko-Tex 100 Standard.
As to whether or not it's "worth" buying the certified cotton fabric over the uncertified, well, one of the things they test for is pesticide residues, but we know that all cotton fabric does not have pesticide residues. It also tests for formaldehyde, but formaldehyde is primarily ussed in fabric finishes, to the best of my knowledge. But it also tests for other chemicals, which may or may not be present in any given fabric.
The certification guarantees that the certified fabric doesn't have these chemicals. If you choose your fabrics wisely, it is likely the fabrics you choose probably don't have them too.
My rule of thumb is that I look at the materials first and certification second. Often certifications have minimum levels allowed so there are products that can qualify. So you need to check out the certification and see what it means before making a decision to rely on it.
Looking for non toxic "Nap Nanny"
My 14 week old son suffers from reflux and we have found it helpful to have him sleep on a slanted surface so his head is higher than his tummy. The only comfortable way we have found to do this so far is to use a chair called "Nap Nanny" which is basically a slanted foam chair covered in a velour type fabric- very comfortable but not so healthy given that the foam must be treated with fire retardant chemicals. Have you heard of a non toxic replacement to the " Nap Nanny"? Or anti-reflux pillows for infants that are non toxic?
Readers? Any experience with this?
If you don't find one, try asking any of the natural mattress or pillow makers to custom make one for you.
Confused...Safest twin mattress for toddler?
Hi, I've been researching through your site and just as I think I have FINALLY found a safe toxin-free mattress for my 2 year old, I feel unsure again.
I was going to go with the Bella Sera Nove 3 mattress. I choose this mattress because it has organic wool, from the USA. I am was/am still concerned about the possibility of contaminants in the wool- arsenic, mercury, etc. I've heard about Lanolin being contaminated with toxins, so I assume wool could be as well.
I figured that if the wool was organic, it would probably be free of contamination, but how do I know that? I cannot find any brand that says that they screen their wool for these things.
Then, I read about latex exposure causing latex allergies, and am at a loss...
Oh, I also read about EMF's in the innerspring mattresses, so I crossed those off my list as well.
My son is currently sleeping on a Naturepedic crib mattress, but I want to get him something more comfortable. The Naturepedic is extremely firm and I'm not a big fan of it. Help!!
Contact Shepherd's Dream and ask them your questions about wool.
Safe baby clothing
As a mom of four I appreciate hand me downs and gifts of clothing. I wish I could buy all organic clothing, but can't all the time. I have been reading about all the chemicals in clothing and am becoming very confused about which brands are safe. My question thus has two parts. Does soaking new clothes in a cup of vinegar added to the soak cycle help rid harmful chemicals like formaldehyde? Also will chemicals transfer from new clothing to the organic clothing I do have?
Vinegar will not remove a formaldehyde-resin finish. And yes, chemicals from one clothing item can transfer to another.
The good news is that not all new clothing contains formaldehyde. The worst are thos labeled "permanent press," "easy care" or something that indicates it will not wrinkle. Also, anything made with a polyester cotton blend. This is impossible to remove because it is permanently bonded to the fabric and continues to outgass formaldehyde.
Most new clothing is, however, treated with a finish called "sizing" which helps garments keep their shape. This is cornstarch-based and washes out easily.
ALWAYS wash new clothes before wearing or putting them in a drawer or closet.
Organic Dolls stuffed with Recycled PET plastic
There are some dolls out there that are made of all organic materials on the outside and stuffed with Recycled PET plastic. Here's the product description: "100% Oeko-Tex certified organic doll Organic clothing Stuffed with 100% post-consumer recycled plastic PET bottles." Does this sound like a pretty safe product?
NO.
Here's why.
The "100% Oeko-Tex certified organic doll Organic clothing" is fine.
The recycled PET plastic is "green" from the viewpoint of the environmental benefits of resource efficiency and reducing waste. However, PET is not nontoxic. PET is polyethylene terephthalate which leaches and outgasses endocrine disruptors. Recycled or not, it's still PET.
A child's body is still in it's formative stages and their detox systems cannot handle the amount of toxics in our world. So every little bit you can do to reduce their exposure matters.
Envirokid Nap Mats and Cushions
Hi Debra! I would like to know your opinion about this products for children: http://myenvirokid.com/. I am trying to find safer alternatives to foam chairs and pillows for my kids. Thank you very much! Cecilia.
It is difficult to completely evaluate these products because the website doesn't say what they are made of. It says what the products DON'T contain, but doesn't completely disclose what they DO contain.
They don't contain lead and they don't contain pthalates, but the fine print on the FAQs page says that their olefin filling beads are treated with a halogen fire retardant. Olefin is a synthetic fiber made from polyethylene or polypropylene, both nontoxic plastics, so I'm not concerned about that. But I am concerned about halogen fire retardants, which are pretty toxic, enough that I wouldn't use this product or recommend it. I didn't see anything that indicated the covering material (which is not disclosed) would block the halogen fire retardant.
So I would say no on this one.
Swing set/jungle gym
We plan to buy a swing set/jungle gym for our backyard for our children. Do you have any tips, recommendations, or suggestions? I think I read to be careful of arsenic in older Wooden sets, but are there other concerns? Thanks!
Readers? Any suggestions? I've never looked at swing sets and jungle gyms.
Boric Acid in futon mattress
Hello Debra! Since having our daughters, I am regularly on here and have found so much useful information! Thank you! I have a concern:
I bought a futon crib mattress thinking it was a better alternative to the other mattresses on the market. Supposedly it has a 'light' coating of boric acid as a flame retardant, which I was told was natural. After purchasing it and having it shipped to us, I grew wary of the boric acid. It is now wrapped up and taking precious space in the closet. I was curious if there was a way to 'wear out' the boric acid or if breaks down after time. I need to do something with it. Should I just get rid of it?
Thank you for any information you can send my way :)
Boric acid has been used for many years as a filame retardant on natural mattresses, but it is also used as a pesticide.
It's unlikely that the boric acid would "wear out" because that would make the mattress no longer flameproof and it would no longer meet regulatory requirements.
If you don't feel comfortable having your daughter sleep on this futon (I wouldn't). there's no point in keeping it.
Toxic Chemicals Found in Child Car Seats
Hazardous Flame Retardants and Chemical Additives Found in
Over Half of 2011 Child Car Seats Tested by HealthyStuff.org
Toxic Chemicals Linked to Allergies, Birth Defects, Impaired Learning, Liver Toxicity, and Cancer
The latest research on toxic chemicals in children's car seats was released last week by the nonprofit Ecology Center at the consumer-friendly site, www.HealthyStuff.org. While some seats were found to be virtually free of the most dangerous chemicals, over half (60%) contained at least one of the chemicals tested for.
Over 150, 2011-model car seats were tested for bromine (associated with brominated flame retardants); chlorine (indicating the presence of polyvinyl chloride, or PVC and plasticizers); lead; other heavy metals, and allergens. These substances have been linked to allergies, birth defects, impaired learning, liver toxicity, and cancer. Heat and UV-ray exposure in cars can accelerate the breakdown of these chemicals and possibly increase their toxicity. Babies are the most vulnerable population in terms of exposure, since their bodily systems are still developing and they spend many hours in their car seats.
Most Toxic 2011 Car Seats:
· Infant Seat: Graco Snugride 35 in Edgemont Red/Black & Graco SnugRide 30 in Asprey
· Convertible Seat: Britax Marathon 70 in Jet Set & Britax Marathon in Platinum
· Booster Seat: Recaro Pro Booster in Blue Opal & Recaro ProSPORT Toddler in Misty
Least Toxic 2011 Car Seats:
· Infant Seat: Chicco KeyFit 30 in Limonata, Graco Snugride 35 in Laguna Bay & Combi Shuttle 33 in Cranberry Noche
· Convertible Carseat: Graco Comfort Sport in Caleo, Graco MyRide 65 in Chandler and Streamer, Safety 1st OnSide Air in Clearwater, andGraco Nautilus Elite 3-in-1 in Gabe
· Booster Seat: Graco Turbo Booster in Anders
Overall, car seats are improving in terms of their toxicity levels. Since 2008, when the Ecology Center first started doing this research, average car seat rankings have improved by 64%.
For a complete list of car seat rankings and chemical composition visit www.HealthyStuff.org.
