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| Organic Crib Mattress |
Benefits of an Organic Crib Mattress
If you are expecting a new baby in your home, one of the most notable purchases you can make is a mattress for their crib. Here are some reasons why this is of such importance.
Most importantly, consider that you new baby will spend up to 70 percent of their first year sleeping - and that's a ton of time so spend in the bed! It is the goal of new parents to want what is most beneficial for their new baby and this goes double for a comfortable and safe mattress.
Many people are becoming aware of the importance of avoiding products that are made without the use of harmful toxins and other materials which are harmful to us and the environment, and since we spend so much of our time in bed, this has special importance to our babies.
As you will see, the benefits of purchasing an organic crib mattress are many. But, we will initially analyze the typical mattresses that have be in use for years, and point out the potential problems with these products.
Traditional Mattresses - What Are The Problems With Them?
Mattresses for cribs have been produced in basically the same way for many years. The outer cover of the mattress is generally produced of several types of vinyl that protects against spills and diaper leaks and the inside is filled with with something that looks strangely like the insulation that's blown into attics and walls. While this makes for a very comfortable mattress that is essentially moisture-proof, there are many chemicals that are used in the stuffing to make the material fire-proof.
These chemicals used in the typical mattress can potentially be very unhealthy to babies. While your baby is sleeping, they can breath in gasses from these toxic chemicals as they off-gas.
Arsenic, phosphorus and antimony are some of the chemicals that are used in typical mattress manufacturing. While there isn't actual documentation that these chemicals contributes to SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome), we have found out that the incidents of SIDS increased dramatically since the introduction of these chemicals to the mattress manufacturing.
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| Organic Crib Mattress |
In addition to the filling chemicals, that are potential health hazards, there are additionally potential health issues associated with the moisture-proof outer layer.
According to the Food and Drug Administration, vinyl is known to cause allergic reactions in many humans. Another problem with the vinyl outer layer is that it does not breath and minimizes air flow.
The combination of these issues of chemicals and toxins that are used in the typical mattress is pretty scary. Your baby can still breath these harmful gasses inside the crib, as they can leach through the moisture-proof vinyl outer layer.
The healthy and safe alternative to these chemically treated mattresses are the organic crib mattresses.
What Makes a Crib Mattress Organic?
Most manufacturers nowadays claim to have organic mattress options, and this is mostly true. There are slightly special materials that each manufacturer uses for the outer layer and the filling of each mattress.
There are quite a few products that are available today that are organic and safe for mattress construction, so understand that there is not just one product you will need to be looking for. Some items you should look for in organic crib mattresses include:
On option to investigate is the use of 100% organic cotton or wool as both a filler and outer covering. Farmers that grow organic cotton are held to strict environmental standards and do not use any herbicides or pesticides.
The use of natural materials as fire retardants.
As we discussed before, the fire retardants that are used with typical mattresses can expose your baby to hazardous gasses. Governmental regulation required that mattress manufactures provide a fire barrier in the crib.
In choosing a mattress, search for ones that use natural retardants such as baking soda, hydrated silica, cellulose fiber and wool, which is a natural fire barrier. All of these safe and healthy fire retardant products meet the current fire protections requirements for mattresses used for cribs.
Recycled Materials in Organic Mattresses:
There are a select few organic crib mattress manufacturers that actually use recycled content in their product manufacture. Pixel Organic uses recycled plastic bottles in their mattress production. These eco-friendly techniques is a outstanding way for a manufacturer to supply a eco-friendly product to the consumer.
Where to Find Your Organic Crib Mattress
Almost every manufacturer now offers an organic crib mattress option. Choosing the one that's right for you is going to depend largely on your budget. You can spend anywhere from around $100 to well over $600 for an one of these organic products.
Just be sure you do enough examination to know that the mattress you are considering is truly organic and safe and uses all natural materials. Feel free to use the tips and data within this article as a good basis to start your search for a mattress.
