Seattle's Child

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Green baby 101

Art by and courtesy of Nikki McClure

Green Baby 101

For their health and for the environment

The cotton-candy pink Boppy was tormenting me. Delirious from a lack of sleep, I nursed my daughter, propped on the arched pillow, in the wee hours of the night. It wasnā€™t the nursing pillowā€™s flowers and cloying pinkness that unnerved me, it was its tags. The Boppy had giant tags boasting of its unstoppable inflammability.

What did that mean? Was it packed with toxic flame retardants? Was I dosing my baby with dangerous chemicals while I fed her? An internet search reassured me (mostly) that the Boppy didnā€™t use the flame retardant chemicals that I feared. We were safe. is time.

Trying to protect your baby from potentially hazardous chemicals forces a parent to navigate a minefield of ingredients and warnings. The assault comes from all sides ā€“ is your babyā€™s teether packed with BPA? Is that adorable hand-me-down train coated in lead paint? Is that sweet-smelling soap loaded with plasticizing chemicals that donā€™t play nicely with your little oneā€™s hormones?

Itā€™s tough to know what threats lurk in your nursery. Manufacturers arenā€™t required to disclose many ingredients, and government regulations are often less than protective. Plus, every time you turn around, thereā€™s a new unpronounceable chemical to fear. How do you police your babyā€™s pacifier and jammies for hidden harm, when all you really want is to get your little bundle to sleep, catch some shut eye and maybe grab a shower?

Luckily, thereā€™s help for green-minded moms and dads. A trip to a few key websites can help you make eco-friendly shopping decisions. Washington parents are one step ahead of many others; the state has some of the strictest rules in the nation for keeping toxic chemicals out of many kidsā€™ items. And for the rest of the products, Iā€™ve found that keeping it simple can be the best way to safeguard your family.

Why take these extra steps to protect our kiddos? Because babies and children clearly arenā€™t just small adults. Their bodies and brains are growing rapidly. Their metabolism is different than that of adults. These differences put them at greater risk of harm. Thatā€™s why many parents, doctors and scientists want to reduce chemical exposures to the most vulnerable members of our families. Trouble is, the threats are manifold.

There are naturally occurring hazards, such as the lead found in old plumbing and paint, or mercury from dated thermometers. And there are industrial ingredients that serve a purpose ā€“ the chemicals added to couch cushions and TVs to make them fire resistant, or to make shampoos and lotions smell good ā€“ but that cause serious health problems in animal studies.

Whatā€™s an eco-conscious parent to do? Hereā€™s my advice, from the babyā€™s top to his bottom.

Keep It Green and Clean

Skip the fancy, scented shampoos, lotions and powders. Research from the University of Washington found that after using products like these ā€“ even those specifically marketed for babies ā€“ the infants had elevated levels of phthalate metabolites in their urine. Phthalates, ingredients that makes products more fluid or flexible, are used in some fragrances, lotions and soft plastics, and can disrupt hormone function and cause developmental defects in research animals.

Instead, use products with natural ingredients from trusted, truly green companies. (Avalon Organics and Tomā€™s of Maine are a few options.) One rule of thumb is to avoid products with fragrances unless a manufacturer explicitly says theyā€™re phthalate- or synthetic-free.

Also say no to anti-bacterial soaps, which often contain a nasty ingredient called triclosan. The ubiquitous chemical is another hormone disruptor, is harmful to aquatic life, and research shows that regular soap and water work just as well to kill bacteria. Most hand sanitizers, however, use alcohol instead of triclosan to kill bacteria.

While youā€™re at it, scrap your fabric softeners and air fresheners, another potential source of phthalates and other undesirable chemicals.

Ā BYO BPA-free B

Washingtonā€™s ban on the use of BPA, or bisphenol A, in baby bottles, sippy cups, and other food and beverage containers for use by children 3 years old and under takes effect in July 2011. In the meantime, I used Dr. Brownā€™s bottles, both in glass and plastic. But thatā€™s not going to eliminate your BPA exposure. The chemical, a synthetic form of estrogen, is a key ingredient of the white or clear epoxy lining used in almost all canned foods and even the lids of glass baby food jars ā€“ and the ban doesnā€™t cover metal cans. Some manufacturers are voluntarily getting rid of the BPA tin can linings because it can leach into food. In animal studies, BPA exposure was linked to increased aggression, hyperactivity, early puberty, and increased body weight.

I fed my daughter organic, jarred baby food and Iā€™m sure the jar lids had a ring of BPA to improve the jarā€™s seal. What to do? I figured that at least the food was organic ā€“ another UW study detected pesticides in the urine of kids fed nonorganic produce, while it was much lower for children eating organically ā€“ and I didnā€™t scrape the food off the lid despite the fact the jars were expensive and I was tempted to nab every last bite.

Itā€™s a Bummer

My daughter used cloth diapers most of the time, save for her nighttime nappy and during long car trips, when I put her in disposables. Disposable diapers, while more convenient, are obviously not reusable and add to growing landfills. Cloth diapers are used many times over, so the greatest environmental impact comes from washing and drying them. In the Northwest, where water is relatively abundant and energy comes mostly from clean, hydro-powered dams, cloth diapers pencil out as easier on the environment. (See our story ā€œDiaper Dilemmaā€ at www.SeattlesChild.com.)

Despite your best efforts, babies get diaper rash now and then. My daughter did well with Rear Schmear, which contains lanolin, olive oil and beeā€™s wax. For baby wipes, stick with unscented. I used Seventh Generation wipes.

Keep It Simple

Of course, this only covers some of the basic baby products. What do you do about toys, teethers, changing tables and other baby goods? Again, there are some reliable, sane websites to help point the way. Remember the rule of keeping it simple ā€“ look for natural ingredients, and skip products you donā€™t actually need.

Also keep in mind the advice I got from some smart doctors studying pediatric environmental health at the UW: Donā€™t make yourself crazy trying to eliminate every potentially harmful product from your babyā€™s world because itā€™s an impossible task. Whatā€™s most important to raising a healthy, happy child is creating a loving, stable, stimulating home.

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