Re: Baby Dies/Now co-sleeping

[Guest guest]

> beds are for sleeping, and we have kitchen counters for sex.

>

Awesome!!!! You rock!!! LOL -Angie

[Guest guest]

As far as being concerned about babies sleeping on

crib matresses, what about regular matresses? Is it

only the PVC that is a cause for concern?

--- SaraShaughnessy@... wrote:

> Ok, but one of the " guidelines " for co sleeping is

> to not use many blankets and to make sure that they

> are away from the baby. I slept with both of my

> boys, it helped so much as I didn't have fully

> awaken and walk to another room to nurse. In fact,

> Jack is four and still co sleeping. As for

> " private " time, beds are for sleeping, and we have

> kitchen counters for sex.

>

> --

> Sara

> Find out what stinks in Genesee County!

> http://geneseecountystinks.blogspot.com

>

> -------------- Original message --------------

> From: " Sheri B. " <tallchick1966@...>

> Sure, we do need to know the whole story. But I can

> vouch for myself that many times I was so utterly

> and completely exhausted that when I fell asleep on

> my side while nursing I was OUT. Hardly anything

> could wake me. It scared me because sometimes the

> little booger was all under the covers, etc.. and I

> was totally oblivious, being totally asleep as it

> were. I think families need to find what works for

> them.

>

> My SIL just had her third this weekend. (No Rhogam,

> no vaxing - yay!) They REALLY co-sleep! Her two

> girls, ages 6 and almost 4, sleep on a futon in

> their room and the new baby is in their bed. I guess

> my question is: when are the parents going to have

> any privacy? The baby is one thing - I'm cool with

> that. But everyone sleeping in the same room? Can't

> the girls just share a room right next to their

> parents and feel " safe " ?

>

> Obviously they had enough privacy to make baby

> number three (giggle) so it must work out for them.

> LOL

>

> Sheri B.

>

> themilochs <themilochs@...> wrote:

>

> >

> > I know lots of people who co-sleep and it works

> out fine for them,

> but it's probably not fair to say that the fear is

> all hype.

> >

> > A woman in my husband's office is married to a

> firefighter. He

> had to go to the call here in town where the dad

> rolled over on the

> baby and suffocated it. He absolutely would not

> allow any co-

> sleeping in their house after that and I can't say

> that I blame him

> after witnessing the tragedy in that family. When

> they had kids they

> had the bassinet right by the bed and the mom nursed

> like that.

> >

> > So while there are enormous benefits, let's make

> sure we don't

> poo-poo the real-life stories that do, rarely,

> happen.

>

> **** without knowing exactly what caused the father

> to roll over and

> suffocate that child, it's hard to even make a

> comparison to those

> who do it every night (like myself) and have no

> problems. I can

> imagine it would be difficult for anyone who

> witnesses this to allow

> it, but I would hope that they would rather try to

> figure out why it

> happened in the first place... and acknowledge that

> it can safely

> occur. Not poo-pooing.

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

>

> > beds are for sleeping, and we have kitchen counters for sex.

> >

> Awesome!!!! You rock!!! LOL -Angie

>

Yeah,I like this comment too. I also believe that cosleeping is a

relatively short time in a child's life in the great scheme of things.

In the West we have such misconceptions about child rearing that

cosleeping has become a very distorted subject.

I do believe that vaccines contribute hugely to sids, and a previous

post pointed out Japan, where babies are not vaccinated until age 2.

As far as I can remember, this was because they found that babies died

if they were vaccinated earlier.

And, remember, in Japan cosleeping is the norm, unlike in the West.

Ingrid

>

>

[Guest guest]

Ha! Very good. We should be more creative. I can see it now: watch out for

the kitchen knives! Oops, there goes the sugar bowl! And I can also see my

older kids coming down the stairs. Not an option in this house - but I'm sure

my dh wishes it was! Nope, our room is about the only option with three kids -

two of whom are able to know what's going on.

Sheri B.

SaraShaughnessy@... wrote:

As for " private " time, beds are for sleeping, and we have kitchen counters for

sex.

---------------------------------

Get your own web address for just $1.99/1st yr. We'll help. Small

Business.

[Guest guest]

>

> As far as being concerned about babies sleeping on

> crib matresses, what about regular matresses? Is it

> only the PVC that is a cause for concern?

>

All mattresses (crib and adult) are toxic, unless they are 100%

cotton and do not contain antimony, phosphorus and arsenic. Here is

an article that gets into the specifics of the chemicals in

mattresses.

I will also post an article that gets into the toxic gas and SIDS

connection.

Jane

http://www.healthychild.com/toxic-chemicals-baby-mattress.htm

FIVE PROBLEMS WITH BABY MATTRESSES (Toxic Chemicals)

by: Barry A. Cik, PE, CP, DEE, QEP, REM, CHMM*

Chief Engineer, G.E.M. Testing & Engineering Labs

Introduction

This report, " Five Problems With Baby Mattresses, " is intended to

highlight the potential dangers of using baby mattresses composed of

vinyl (polyvinyl chloride or PVC), phthalates, polyurethane foam,

harsh chemical fire retardants, and other chemical additives.

It is becoming increasingly clear that toxic chemicals are affecting

our children. A primary source of toxic chemicals in the environment

of a child during its first few years of life is the mattress and

bedding. Removing potentially harmful chemicals from these prominent

objects represents a prudent approach for concerned parents and their

doctors.

Here is an overview of some specific concerns with baby mattresses:

o Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), the surface material used in nearly all

baby mattresses, is widely considered to be one of the most toxic and

environmentally unfriendly plastics in use today.

o Phthalates, associated with asthma, reproductive effects, and

cancer, make up 30% by weight of the PVC surface of a typical baby

mattress. Phthalates are not bound to the plastic and leach out.

o The FDA and Consumer Product Safety Commission have issued general

warnings regarding the use of phthalates, yet the PVC surfaces of

baby mattresses still contain phthalates.

o DEHP (the most commonly used phthalate in baby mattresses),

together with several other phthalates, have already been banned

across Europe for use in many children's products.

o The PVC surface of a typical baby mattress is also treated with

toxic fire retardant chemicals such as antimony. Various biocides are

often added as well.

o Polyurethane foam, the predominant filling material used in baby

mattresses, typically contains various problematic ingredients

including chemical catalysts, surfactants, emulsifiers, pigments, and

other chemical additives. These frequently include formaldehyde,

benzene, toluene, and other well established toxic chemicals such as

organotin compounds.

o Polyurethane foam (essentially solid petroleum) is extremely

flammable. To combat this hazard, industrial toxic fire retardants

are added. The most common chemical fire retardant used to treat

polyurethane foam has been pentaBDE, a toxin associated with

hyperactivity and neuro-behavioral alterations. PentaBDE is not bound

to the foam, and leaches out into the surrounding air.

o PentaBDE has recently been banned in Europe. It has also been

banned by the State of California as of 2006. However, there is

currently no planned government action to recall the millions of baby

mattresses presently in use that contain pentaBDE.

o Other common materials found in baby mattresses include " shoddy "

pads made from scraps swept off the floor of textile mills or " hair "

pads made from pig hair.

o Children are far more vulnerable to toxic chemicals than adults,

especially within their first few years of life. Considering that

children spend over 50% of their early life on a baby mattress, it

would be prudent to use materials that don't contain such dangerous

chemicals.

The NaturePedic® No-Compromise™ Baby Mattress, designed by G.E.M.

Testing & Engineering Labs, addresses these and other issues.

Disclosures and Disclaimers: G.E.M. Testing & Engineering Labs serves

in the capacity of technical consultant to NaturePedic. Barry A. Cik,

a quarter century veteran in the field of environmental engineering,

and chief engineer at G.E.M. Testing & Engineering Labs, formulated

the NaturePedic design. Credentials, licenses, and certifications are

listed for identification purposes only. All informational sources

presented here are presumed to be reliable. This report is not

intended to engage in medical research or the diagnosis or treatment

of any disease. For medical related questions, please follow the

advice of your physician.

The Five Problems with Baby Mattresses

Over the last 30+ years, baby mattress materials have been replaced

with cheap petroleum-based synthetics. Nearly all baby mattresses

today contain polyurethane foam, vinyl (PVC), phthalates, chemical

fire retardants, and an extensive list of added industrial chemicals.

Recent studies have questioned the use of these materials. Some of

these chemicals have even been shown to leach out into the

surrounding air.

" The results of the study demonstrated that some crib mattresses

emitted mixtures of chemicals capable of causing respiratory-tract

irritation and generating combinations of SI [sensory irritation], PI

[pulminary irritation] and AFL [airflow limitation]... chemicals

involved in the manufacture of the mattress and cover... have toxic

properties... to lung, liver, and brain... respiratory tract

irritants... carcinogenic and neurotoxic. "

(, lind C., PhD, " Respiratory Toxicity of Mattress

Emissions in Mice. " Archives of Environmental Health Jan. 2000.

www.andersonlaboratories.com)

Babies and toddlers spend 10-14 hours a day sleeping and playing on a

baby mattress. Furthermore, a child's every breath inhales air no

more than six inches away from these chemicals. As such, for the

first few years of a child's life, the mattress is the single most

prominent object in the child's environment.

Problem #1: The Vinyl/PVC surface of a typical baby mattress consists

of 30% phthalates that can leach out into your child's crib

In order to make the vinyl surface of a typical baby mattress soft

and flexible, phthalate plasticizers are added (most commonly DEHP).

Phthalates typically account for 30% by weight of the vinyl surface

of a typical baby mattress.

" Phthalates are animal carcinogens and can cause fetal death,

malformations, and reproductive toxicity in laboratory animals...

children may be at higher risk of adverse effects of phthalates

because of anticipated higher exposures during a time of

developmental and physiologic immaturity... Phthalates are not

covalently bound to the plastic matrix and leach out of PVC... "

(Shea, M. MD MPH and the Committee on Environmental

Health. " Pediatric Exposure and Potential Toxicity of Phthalate

Plasticizers. " American Academy of Pediatrics. Pediatrics Volume 111

No. 6. June 2003. Pg. 1467.

http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;111/6

/1467)

" Although DEHP plasticizes numerous products, roughly 95% of the

current production is used in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) (National

Toxicology Program 2003), where it typically constitutes 30% of PVC

by weight... phthalate (DEHP) was associated with asthma… This study

shows that phthalates, within the range of what is normally found in

indoor environments, are associated with allergic symptoms in

children. "

(Bornehag, Carl-Gustaf, et al. " The Association Between Asthma and

Allergic Symptoms in Children and Phthalates in House Dusts. "

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Environmental

Health Perspectives. Oct 2004.

http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/docs/2004/7187/abstract.html?

section=children)

A study of phthalates in hospital settings revealed the following:

" Other potential respiratory exposures to DEHP in the NICU include

off-gassing from... mattress covers... DEHP exposures continue when

the neonate arrives at home... off-gassing of indoor vinyl products. "

(Brody, Charlotte. " Neonatal Exposure to DEHP and Opportunites for

Prevention. " Health Care Without Harm. July 13, 2000.

http://www.noharm.org/details.cfm?type=document & id=379)

" The CDC report provides definitive evidence that phthalates in soft

PVC plastic are getting into virtually all of our bodies. "

(Brody, Charlotte. " New CDC Report Finds Phthalates and Other

Chemicals Commonly Used in Hospitals

at Highest Levels in Children. " Health Care Without Harm. February 5,

2005.

http://www.noharm.org/details.cfm?type=document & id=707)

In 1998, the National Environmental Trust, together with other

environmental groups, asked the Consumer Product Safety Commission

(CPSC) to ban the use of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in products

intended for children under age five. While the CPSC could not

entirely ban PVC, they recently asked manufacturers of baby products

to voluntarily discontinue the use of phthalate plasticizers. Most

manufacturers are removing phthalates from toys (now generally made

only with hard PVC plastic). However, phthalates are not currently

being removed from baby mattresses (as this would turn the mattress

surface into hard plastic and make it unusable).

Problem #2: The PVC surface of a typical baby mattress presents

unusually high health risks

All plastics are not created equal. PVC is made from vinyl chloride,

which is a combination of petroleum (ethylene) and chlorine. This

particular plastic is far more toxic than the plastic bag you might

use to pack your lunch.

" The chemical composition of PVC includes two features. First, PVC is

the only plastic that contains chlorine... Second, plasticizers,

i.e., additives, are used in PVC, mostly diethyl hexyl phthalate

(DEHP), from 0 to almost 50% of the weight... In conclusion, in our

case-control study of testicular cancer, a somewhat surprisingly high

risk was observed for exposure to PVC plastics. "

(Hardell, Lennart, et al. " Occupational Exposure to Polyvinyl

Chloride as a Risk Factor for Testicular Cancer Evaluated in a Case-

Control Study. " International Journal of Cancer. 73, 828-830 1997.

www.mindfully.org/Pesticide/Occupational-Exposure-PVC.htm. See also

National Library of Medicine)

In a study that made the front page of USA today, phthalates were

linked to reproductive effects:

Consistent toxicologic evidence indicates association between several

of these phthalate esters and reproductive effects... DEHP has been

shown to... reduce testosterone... commonly used phthalates may

undervirilize humans "

(Swan, et al, " Decrease in Anogenital Distance Among Male Infants

with Prenatal Phthalate Exposure. " University of Rochester School of

Medicine, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences,

Environmental Health Perspectives, June, 2005.

www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0CYP/is_8_113/ai_n15343367)

Some of the chemicals frequently added to the PVC surface of a

typical baby mattress can include lead, cadmium, phosphorus, and

others. In particular, antimony, the primary fire retardant used on

the vinyl plastic surface of most baby mattresses, can be quite

harmful even at low levels.

" ... animals that breathed very low levels of antimony had eye

irritation, hair loss, lung damage and heart problems. Problems with

fertility were also noted... Where is antimony found?… Most antimony

oxide produced is added to textiles and plastics as fire

retardant... "

( " Antimony and Antimony Compounds. " Pollution Prevention Factsheet.

Ohio EPA. Number 102. September 2002.

www.epa.state.oh.us/opp/mercury_pbt/fact102.pdf)

According to Health Care Without Harm, " many hospitals are

reconsidering their use of polyvinyl chloride (PVC or vinyl) medical

products. Their concerns with PVC products relate to patient safety

or potential environmental health effects. "

(http://noharm.org/details.cfm?type=document & id=741). DEHP, the most

common phthalate used in vinyl baby mattresses, has already been

banned in Europe for many children's products.

Problem #3: Typical baby mattresses use petroleum as filling

Nearly all baby mattresses today use polyurethane foam (also known as

urethane foam or just " foam " ) as internal filling. Polyurethane foam

contains various problematic ingredients associated with numerous

health hazards. It deteriorates over time, breaking up into small

dust-like particles that can easily become airborne (releasing VOCs

into the air).

" Avoid heavily chemically treated mattresses filled with polyurethane

foam... Polyurethane foam offgasses VOCs, especially toluene...

Formaldehyde and other VOC offgassing is associated with...

mattresses. " ( " Green Birthdays. " American College of Nurse-Midwives.

www.midwivesofwa.org/greenbirthdays.pdf)

Some of the health hazards listed on manufacturer material safety

data sheets (MSDS) for polyurethane foam include: possible cardiac

arrhythmias, breathlessness, chest discomfort, irritation of mucous

membranes, headache, coughing, asthma-like allergic reaction,

dizziness, weakness, fatigue, nausea, blurred vision, and reduced

pulmonary function.

Polyurethane foam is produced by combining a polyol (petroleum based)

with an isocyanate (usually toluene diisocyanate or TDI), which is a

highly toxic substance. The EPA has identified several chemicals used

in the fabrication of polyurethane foam as hazardous air pollutants

(hydrochloric acid, 2,4-toluene diisocyanate, and hydrogen cyanide).

" Exposure to these substances has been demonstrated to cause adverse

health effects such as irritation of the lung, eye, and mucous

membranes, effects on the central nervous system, and cancer. "

( " National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Flexible

Polyurethane Foam Fabrication Operations. " Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA), 40 CFR Part 63, Final Rule, Federal Register/Volume 68,

No. 71/Monday, April 14, 2003/Rules and Regulations, Pg 18062)

" Organotin compounds - Found in... polyurethane foams... can disrupt

the hormone, reproductive, and immune systems. Animal studies show

that exposure early in life can also have long-term effects on brain

development. "

( " Hazardous Chemicals Found in Household Dust Across U.S. " Health

Care Without Harm. March 24, 2005. www.noharm.org/details.cfm?

ID=1037 & type=document)

Problem #4: Polyurethane foam is highly flammable

Polyurethane foam is a petroleum product and is highly flammable.

This poses a significant danger.

" If ignited, polyurethane foam can burn rapidly, releasing great heat

and consuming oxygen. In an enclosed space, the resulting deficiency

of oxygen can present a danger of suffocation to the occupants. Smoke

and gases released by burning foam can be incapacitating to human

beings if inhaled in sufficient quantities. " (Polyurethane Foam

Industry-Wide Warning Label)

Polyurethane foam decomposes into deadly and hazardous gases when

ignited.

" Thermal decomposition products from polyurethane foam consists

mainly of carbon monoxide, benzene, toluene, oxides of nitrogen,

hydrogen cyanide, acetaldehyde, acetone, propene... "

(OSHA Hazard Information Bulletins. " The Fire Hazard of Polyurethane

and Other Organic Foam Insulation Aboard Ships and In Construction. "

U.S. Department of Labor. Occupational Safety & Health

Administration. www.osha.gov/dts/hib/hib_data/hib19890510.html)

According to R. Barnett, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Fire

Protection Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic

Institute, " polyurethane foam produces ten times more carbon monoxide

for each gram burned than does wood. "

(http://encarta.msn.com/text_761563809___13/Fire.html)

" ...carbon monoxide is the deadly gas and will kill us before the

flames do. "

( " Mattresses: Deadly Fire Hazards. " CBS News. The Early Show.

Interview with U.S. Deputy Fire Administrator Chief Charlie

Dickinson. June 28, 2004.

www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/06/28/earlyshow/living/home/main626380.sh

tml)

Problem #5: Toxic fire-retardant chemicals are typically added

Due to the high flammability of polyurethane foam, industrial

strength toxic chemical fire retardants are typically added to meet

the minimum flammability standards set by government agencies. While

there are no laws or regulations regarding the materials or chemicals

permitted to be used in baby mattresses (other than basic labeling

requirements), the government does mandate minimum flammability

standards. The most common chemical fire retardants used to treat

polyurethane foam for the past several decades have been

polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), in particular, pentaBDE.

" PentaBDE... is predominantly used as a flame retardant in

polyurethane foam... exposure can damage the thyroid and liver and

cause hyperactivity, changes in motor behavior, and other brain

functions... Because pentaBDE is not chemically bound to the polymer

[foam], pentaBDE particles can leach out into the air. People can be

exposed to pentaBDE through inhalation... Polyurethane foam typically

contains 10-30% pentaBDE by weight. "

( " Penta-Brominated Diphenyl Ether/PentaBDE. " University of

Massachusetts. Lowell Center for Sustainable Production. Fact Sheet.

March 2003)

" Thyroid and neurobehavioral alterations... are possible effects of

concern in children exposed to PBBs or PBDEs. "

( " Public Health Statement: Polybrominated Biphenyls and

Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBBs and PBDEs). " Agency for Toxic

Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), U.S. Department of Health

and Human Services

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/phs68.html#bookmark06)

PentaBDE has recently been banned in Europe and by the State of

California (as of 2006) with other states to follow. Some

manufacturers are beginning to replace PentaBDE with its precursor,

decaBDE, or other chemical based fire retardants or barriers (e.g.

modacrylic, PAN, other PBDEs, etc.). These replacements are arguably

no better. Meanwhile, there is currently no plan to recall the

millions of baby mattresses presently in use that contain the banned

pentaBDE.

Are Toxic Chemicals Harming Our Children?

Many researchers suspect that toxic chemicals are playing a

significant role in the dramatic increase in childhood disorders.

Just as lead paint was once widespread before it was found to be

toxic and banned, many components of today's baby mattresses are also

toxic. Eventhough these chemicals are currently legal, they are

likely to eventually be banned as well.

There is growing concern among physicians, health professionals,

public safety officials, environmental advocacy groups, and consumers

regarding the possible effects of these chemicals on our children.

Some of these chemicals have already been implicated in various

childhood disorders.

" Today, children are exposed to thousands of substances in the

environment, most of which have never been tested for toxicity to

children... The implications of this massive experiment in exposure

are unknown. Environmental toxicants are suspected to be correlated

with many disorders that, until recently, have been assumed to be

genetic in origin... attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder, and

autism are among the disorders that may be linked to environmental

toxicants. "

(Center for Children's Health and the Environment at the Mount Sinai

School of Medicine, New York.

www.childenvironment.org/factsheets/environmental_pediatrics.htm)

" ... EPA has determined that infants up to age two are, on average,

ten times more vulnerable to carcinogenic chemicals than adults, and

for some cancer causing agents are up to 65 times more vulnerable...

children accumulate up to 50 percent of their lifetime cancer risk by

their second birthday... many chemicals linked to mutagenic activity

are commonly used in consumer products and can contribute to

children's exposure to carcinogens. "

(Children's Health Policy Review: " EPA Cancer Policy Revisions

Highlight Risks to Children. " 3 Mar. 2003.

Environmental Working Group.

www.ewg.org/issues/risk_assessment/20030303/index.php)

" We have come to understand that chemicals in the environment can

cause a wide range of developmental disabilities in children. In the

words of pediatrician Herbert L. Needleman, 'We are conducting a vast

toxicologic experiment in our society, in which our children and our

children's children are the experimental subjects. "

( " The Developing Brain and the Environment: An Introduction. " Bernard

Weiss MD, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry,

and Philip J. Landrigan MD, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York.

Environmental Health Perspectives. Volume 108 Supplement 3. June

2000. http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/docs/2000/suppl-3/intro.html)

Childhood Disorders On The Rise

Childhood disorders have been rising dramatically. These disorders

include autism, ADD/ADHD, asthma, allergies, cancer and more. They

were extremely rare only a couple generations ago.

" The survey found that nearly one out of 10 (9.2%) American children

18 years of age and younger currently suffers from asthma. This

figure is comparable to the most current estimate of the National

Center for Health Statistics, which estimates that 8.8% of children

18 years of age and younger have the disease. " (Children & Asthma in

America. " Executive Summary. "

www.asthmainamerica.com/children_index.html)

Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears

during the first three years of life... affecting an estimated 1 in

250 births (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2003)...

Based on statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and other

governmental agencies, autism is growing

at a rate of 10-17% a year. "

(Autism Society of America. " What is Autism?. " www.autism-

society.org/site/PageServer?pagename=whatisautism)

" Recent epidimiology studies have shown that autism spectrum

disorders are ten times more prevalent than they were just 10 years

ago... Autism spectrum disorders occur in as many as one in every 166

births. "

(National Alliance for Autism Research. " What is Autism? - History. "

www.naar.org/aboutaut/whatis_hist.htm)

Researchers are increasingly concluding that the dramatic rise in

many childhood disorders is not primarily caused by any significant

increase in awareness or diagnostic methodologies. 10-30 years ago,

the medical community was well able to diagnose these disorders.

Furthermore, normal genetics is also not a likely explanation as the

increases are too dramatic and too rapid. Finally, to the degree that

genetic mutations are involved, the question still remains as to what

is causing these mutations and/or triggering these disorders.

" The increases are too rapid to reflect genetic changes, and better

diagnostic detection is not

a likely explanation. The strong probability exists that

environmental factors are playing a role. "

(Philip Landrigan, MD, Pediatrician. Mount Sinai School of Medicine,

Advisor to Office of Children's Health at U.S. EPA. H. Cushman

Jr., New York Times, 9/29/97)

" The incidence of asthma and allergy has increased throughout the

developed world over the past 30 years (Beasley et al. 2003). The

short interval over which it has occured implies that the increase is

caused by changes in environmental exposures rather than genetic

changes (Etzel 2003; Stachan 2000). "

(Bornehag, Carl-Gustaf, et al. " The Association Between Asthma and

Allergic Symptoms in Children and Phthalates

in House Dusts. " Environmental Health Perspectives Oct. 2004.

http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/docs/2004/7187/abstract.html?

section=children)

" ... children are more vulnerable to the effects of carcinogens than

adults. In fact, chemicals that cause cancer via genetic mutations

were up to 65 times more potent when exposures occur during childhood

instead of adulthood. "

( " Children's Health Policy Review: EPA cancer policy revisions

highlight risks to children. " 3 Mar. 2003.

Environmental Working Group.

www.ewg.org/issues/risk_assessment/20030303/index.php)

How Are Toxic Chemicals Allowed?

Many specific consumer products are fairly well regulated with

respect to their ingredients. These include food, drugs, and other

specific items such as lead in paint. There are also various types of

regulations for many other consumer products such as pesticides,

alcohol, tobacco, firearms, medical devices, and motor vehicles.

However, the use of chemicals in most other consumer products is

largely unregulated. These include many of the chemicals typically

found in baby mattresses.

" Most people assume the government polices commercial chemicals in

the same way the FDA polices drugs, but it's not true... there's no

sheriff in town. "

(Andy Igrejas, Director of the Environmental Health Campaign. Tony

Iallonardo, National Environmental Trust. " Toxic Chemicals Widespread

in Consumer Products. " 14 July 2004.

http://environet.policy.net/proactive/newsroom/release.vtml?id=28735)

" No one is systematically tracking the use of any of these chemicals

in consumer products, or the resulting human exposures to these

chemicals in spite of the chemicals' known or potential human health

hazards... Currently, chemicals can be incorporated in consumer

products and sold on store shelves, even in products used by

children, with no up-front cancer [or other safety] testing. "

( " EPA Cancer Policy Revisions Highlight Risks to Children. "

Environmental Working Group. Children's Health Policy Review. March

3. 2003)

The average consumer naturally assumes that what is sold on the

market (certainly regarding baby products) is fully safe and non-

toxic. However, the average consumer is unaware of the potentially

harmful chemicals often included in such products.

" Most Americans would assume that basic toxicity testing is available

and that all chemicals in commerce today are safe. A recent EPA study

has found that this is not a prudent assumption. "

(Chemical Hazard Data Availability Study. U.S. EPA Office of

Pollution Prevention and Toxic Substances.

www.epa.gov/oppt/chemtest/hazchem.htm)

What About Fire Protection?

When it comes to bedroom fires, a moment or two can mean the

difference between life and death.

" There is a window of opportunity for someone to escape, but it is

very brief. We are talking seconds.

Fire doubles itself every minute in a mattress fire. "

( " Mattresses: Deadly Fire Hazards. " CBS News. The Early Show.

Interview with U.S. Deputy Fire Administrator

Chief Charlie Dickinson. June 28, 2004.

www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/06/28/earlyshow/living/home/main626380.sh

tml)

Thousands of innocent people are killed or severly injured from

bedroom fires each year. Sadly, children comprise the majority of

these casualties.

" In 1995, CPSC [Consumer Product Safety Commission] conducted a field

investigation study to learn more about cigarette-ignited fires and

open flame fires. The report, issued in 1997, showed that about 70%

of the open flame fires involved child play and that 68% of the open

flame deaths were to children playing with lighters, matches, and

other open flame sources. "

(Consumer Product Safety Commission " Standard to Address Open Flame

Ignition of Mattresses/Bedding; Advance Notice of Proposed

Rulemaking. " 16CFR Part 1633. Federal Register/Vol. 66, No.

197/October 11, 2001, Pg. 51886)

Sleeping on a petroleum based polyurethane foam mattress may rob you

and your child of precious life differentiating moments. Untreated

polyurethane foam is so flammable that it will literally explode into

a ball of fire within seconds. Even more dangerous than the fire

itself is the carbon monoxide and other deadly gases released by

polyurethane foam as well as the associated significant reduction of

available oxygen.

" Hazardous decomposition products [from flexible polyurethane foam]

include: carbon monoxide, acetaldehyde, acrylonitrile, 2,4-toluene di-

isocyanate, polymer fragments, oxides of nitrogen, and hydrogen

cyanide. Fire retardant foams may generate emissions of hydrogen

chloride, hydrogen bromide, hydrogen flouride, or phosphoric acid... "

( " National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for

Flexible Polyurethane Foam Production " U.S. EPA. Federal Register.

October 7, 1998. Vol. 63. No. 194. www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-

AIR/1998/October/Day-07/a25894.htm)

" Thermal decomposition products from polyurethane foam consists

mainly of carbon monoxide, benzene, toluene, oxides of nitrogen,

hydrogen cyanide, acetaldehyde, acetone, propane... "

(OSHA Hazard Information Bulletins. " The Fire Hazard of Polyurethane

and Other Organic Foam Insulation Aboard Ships and In Construction. "

U.S. Department of Labor. Occupational Safety & Health

Administration. www.osha.gov/dts/hib/hib_data/hib19890510.html)

While the above studies did not involve baby mattresses per se, it is

nonetheless clear that polyurethane foam constitutes a widespread

concern, especially in those products impacting babies and young

children.

In order to reduce the inherent fire hazard of polyurethane foam,

harsh industrial fire retardants are typically added. However, this

only trades one problem for another. These added toxic fire

retardants pose their own health hazards, even while a baby is simply

sleeping.

The NaturePedic® Design

G.E.M Testing & Engineering Labs, on behalf of NaturePedic, developed

and designed the No-Compromise™ Baby Mattress to address the concerns

of parents and doctors as presented in this report. The NaturePedic

No-Compromise Baby Mattress has been designed in accordance with the

following paramaters:

o NATURAL MATERIALS: The No-Compromise Baby Mattress utilizes cotton,

a natural material with favorable qualities and an extensive history

in mattresses and similar products. In particular, cotton has low

toxicity concerns. Cotton provides for good air circulation while

maintaining more even humidity and balanced temperatures. It has the

ideal density for firm yet comfortable bedding.

o NON-TOXIC DESIGN: The design of the No-Compromise Baby Mattress

strives to eliminate materials which may be toxic, hazardous, or

otherwise potentially harmful, as is reasonably achievable.

The following are specifically prohibited:

o NO Phthalates

o NO Vinyl (Polyvinyl Chloride or PVC)

o NO Polyurethane Foam

o NO dangerous Fire Retardant Chemicals (PBDE's, Antimony,

Modacrylic, etc.)

o NO Scrap or Pig Hair Fiber Pads

o FIRE PROTECTION: The No-Compromise Baby Mattress is designed to

meet and exceed Federal and State Flammability Standards, and exceed

such standards by the highest possible margin reasonably achievable.

Cotton naturally has a low rate of combustion and does not burst into

flames when ignited as compared with polyurethane foam and PVC,

eliminating the need for harsh industrial fire retardant chemicals.

To maximize fire protection, FlameBreaker™, a non-toxic fire barrier

system based on baking soda's unique fire retardant properties has

been developed.

o FIRM SUPPORT: The No-Compromise Baby Mattress uses extra firm high

coil count orthopedic innersprings, providing the optimum

pediatrician recommended firmness and comfort levels. The design also

features heavy-duty border rods for extra side and edge support.

More Information on NaturePedic No-Compromise Baby Mattress

Credentials

G.E.M. Testing & Engineering Labs has expertise in environmental

assessments, materials & toxicology, and related specialties.

Services are provided per EPA, ASTM and other professional protocols.

G.E.M. Testing & Engineering Labs is licensed by the State of Ohio,

and has been providing professional environmental engineering

services since 1984.

BARRY A. CIK, PE, CP, DEE, QEP, CHMM, REM*

Chief Engineer, G.E.M. Testing & Engineering Labs, Cleveland, Ohio

*PE - Registered Professional Engineer, State of Ohio

CP - Certified Professional, State of Ohio EPA VAP

DEE - Board Certified Environmental Engineer, American Academy of

Environmental Engineers

QEP - Qualified Environmental Professional, Institute of Professional

Environmental Practice

REM - Registered Environmental Manager, National Registry of

Environmental Professionals

CHMM - Certified Hazardous Materials Manager, Master Level, Institute

Hazardous Mtrls Mgmt

Credentials:

Registered Professional Engineer - PE [#47615]

State of Ohio Engineers Board of Registration

Certified Professional - CP [#109]

State of Ohio EPA VAP

B.S. Civil Engineering, 1978, Ohio State University

Concentration in Environmental and Engineering

Surveys

C.E. Civil Engineering Advanced Professional Degree

1981, Ohio State University

Concentration in Environmental and Engineering

Surveys & Construction Materials

Board Certified Environmental Engineer [#98-20076]

Diplomate Environmental Engineer - DEE

American Academy of Environmental Engineers

Qualified Environmental Professional QEP [#01960005]

Institute of Professional Environmental Practice

Certified Hazardous Materials Manager

Master Level - CHMM [#10795]

Institute of Hazardous Materials Management

Registered Environmental Manager - REM [#05594]

National Registry of Environmental Professionals

Certified Diplomate Forensic Engineer [#681]

National Academy of Forensic Engineers

Note: The above credentials, licenses, and certifications are listed

for identification purposes only. No implication is intended that

these credentialing authorities or organizations endorse or approve

the contents of this presentation.

Affiliations (Past and/or Present):

National Society of Professional Engineers

American Society of Civil Engineers

Amer. Society Photogrammetry Remote Sensing

ASTM Standards Committees (Various)

Academy of Certified Hazardous Materials Mangrs

Air and Waste Management Association

National Academy Forensic Engineers Sr. Member

Association of Independent Scientific, Engineering

& Testing Firms (ACIL)

Professional Firms Practicing in the

Geosciences (ASFE)

Building Environment Council of Ohio

Institute of Professional Environmental Practice

Union of Concerned Scientists

Environmental Health Watch

Ohio Environmental Council

Soil & Water Conservation Society

The Nature Conservancy

Environmental Defense

Natural Resources Defense Council

HEAL (Human Ecology Action League)

American Bankers Association Service Member

Ohio & Cleveland Mortgage Bankers Associations

Association for Commercial Real Estate (NAIOP)

International Association of Corporate Real Estate

Executives (NACORE)

[Guest guest]

>

> As far as being concerned about babies sleeping on

> crib matresses, what about regular matresses? Is it

> only the PVC that is a cause for concern?

>

Here is the article on the toxic gases that are in all regular

mattresses. Although this article is focusing on crib mattresses,

these gases are in adult mattresses, too.

http://www.healthychild.com/SIDS-crib-death-cause.htm

Has The Cause of Crib Death (SIDS) Been Found?

Toxic Gases in Baby Crib Mattresses

By Jane Sheppard

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). These four words can incite a

considerable amount of terror in a parent of an infant. Sudden infant

death syndrome (SIDS), also known as crib death or cot death, is the

number one cause of death for infants from one month to one year of

age. 90% of all SIDS deaths are in babies under six months old.

Ongoing SIDS research occasionally leads to discoveries of risk

factors associated with these deaths, but after almost 50 years,

researchers say they still do not know how or why it happens. The

prevailing official viewpoint on SIDS is that the cause is unknown

(SIDS Alliance 2001).

It may seem inconceivable that over a million babies have died of

this " syndrome " , and after almost half a century and many millions of

dollars spent, no one in this age of science and technology can tell

us why. But what parents are virtually oblivious to (through no fault

of their own) is that a highly convincing explanation for this

tragedy has been found, along with a simple means of eliminating it.

This explanation is backed by a significant amount of evidence, but

has been and continues to be completely ignored by SIDS

organizations, the medical community, and the government - for a

variety of reasons, including politics, financial liability, and

vested interests. Publication of these findings continues to be

denied and suppressed. The result is that babies continue to be at

risk from deaths that may easily be prevented.

Toxic Gases in Mattresses

Dr. Jim Sprott, OBE, a New Zealand scientist and chemist, states with

certainty that crib death is caused by toxic gases, which can be

generated from a baby's mattress. Chemical compounds containing

phosphorus, arsenic and antimony have been added to mattresses as

fire retardants and for other purposes since the early 1950's. A

fungus that commonly grows in bedding can interact with these

chemicals to create poisonous gases ( 1994). These heavier-

than-air gases are concentrated in a thin layer on the baby's

mattress or are diffused away and dissipated into the surrounding

atmosphere. If a baby breathes or absorbs a lethal dose of the gases,

the central nervous system shuts down, stopping breathing and then

heart function. These gases can fatally poison a baby, without waking

the sleeping baby and without any struggle by the baby. A normal

autopsy would not reveal any sign that the baby was poisoned (Sprott

1996).

In spite of denial and opposition from orthodox SIDS organizations,

no research has disproved this gaseous poisoning explanation for crib

death. No valid criticism of this explanation has ever been provided.

This logical finding explains every factor already known about crib

death, and is backed by scientific research (Sprott 1996, 2000) and

eight years of practical proof consisting of a crib death prevention

campaign that continues in New Zealand.

Ongoing research continues to support these findings. A four and a

half year study by the ish Cot Death Trust published in the

British Medical Journal (November 2, 2002) has shown that the re-use

of infant mattresses triples the risk of cot death (Tappin 2002). Dr.

Sprott explains that the risk of death increases when mattresses are

re-used from one baby to the next because the fungus has already had

a chance to establish itself in the used mattress. When the next baby

uses the same mattress, the fungus is soon active. Toxic gas

production begins sooner and is generated in greater volume. It is

known that crib death rates increase markedly from the first baby in

a family to the second, and from the second to the third, and so on

( 2001). Dr. Sprott warns, however, that new mattresses can

also be unsafe because fungal growth can quickly become established

in a new mattress once a baby begins sleeping on it (Sprott 2003).

The fundamental solution is urgent action to eliminate all sources of

phosphorus, arsenic and antimony from all mattresses. But this is not

happening now, and is not likely to happen anytime soon, so exposure

to these gases must be prevented. The intervening solution is to

prevent babies from being exposed to the gases by wrapping mattresses

in a gas-impermeable cover made from high-grade polyethylene and

ensuring that bedding used on top of a wrapped mattress does not

contain any phosphorus, arsenic or antimony.

A 100% successful crib death prevention campaign has been going on in

New Zealand for the past eight years. Midwives and other healthcare

professionals throughout New Zealand have been actively advising

parents to wrap mattresses. During this time, there has not been a

single SIDS death reported among the over 100,000 New Zealand babies

who have slept on mattresses wrapped in a specially formulated

polyethylene cover. The number of crib deaths in New Zealand that

have occurred since mattress-wrapping began in 1994 is about 550. The

number of crib deaths that have occurred in New Zealand on a properly

wrapped mattress is zero.

In early 2002, a German doctor published the results of the New

Zealand mattress-wrapping campaign, including statistical analysis

carried out in conjunction with the University of Munich (Kapuste

2002). The statistics showed that the proof of the validity of

mattress-wrapping for crib death prevention was one billion billion

times the level of proof generally accepted by the medical community

as proving a scientific proposition.

Prior to the commencement of mattress-wrapping, New Zealand had the

highest crib death rate in the world (2.1 deaths per 1000 live

births). Following the adoption of mattress-wrapping by many parents

in New Zealand, the New Zealand crib death rate has fallen by 48%

(NZHIS), and the Pakeha (non-Maori) crib death rate has fallen by an

estimated 75% (King 2001). Pakeha parents have adopted mattress-

wrapping with enthusiasm. " These reductions cannot be attributed to

orthodox cot death prevention advice, " said Dr Sprott. " There has

been no material change in that advice since 1992. The only

significant change in cot death prevention advice, which has occurred

since 1994, is the nationwide dissemination of my recommendations to

wrap babies' mattresses. "

Parents Are Denied Findings

So why isn't this profound and critically important information

making the headlines of major newspapers or all over the evening

news? Why aren't crib death researchers and the government of the

United States telling parents to wrap babies' mattresses? Why are the

manufacturers still adding fire retardants and other chemicals to

mattresses?

There are various reasons, but one possible reason is that mattress

manufacturers are required to use fire retardants through government

regulations. Admitting that these chemicals are causing deaths would

mean admitting to major liability. Furthermore, crib death research

has been a significant source of funding for medical researchers in

the U.S. Crib death research funding has nearly stopped in New

Zealand as more people become aware that mattress-wrapping is easy,

cheap and 100% successful in preventing this tragedy. Unfortunately,

the ongoing complex and expensive research that leads to the

discovery of " risk factors " for a so-called " syndrome " has pushed

aside the simple and inexpensive solution of mattress-wrapping; a

solution that can do no harm.

The Cot Death Cover-Up? (Penguin books, NZ, 1996), by Dr. Jim Sprott,

reveals the amazing story of denial on the part of crib death

researchers and the medical community, and the failure of these

entities to accept such a simple explanation. Dr. Sprott first

suggested a toxic gas theory for crib death in 1986, and in 1989

Barry of Britain, also a consulting chemist acting

independently, publicized outstanding research proving the finding.

In response, the British government set up expert committees to

investigate the findings. One committee published the Report,

which recommended the removal of the chemicals from baby mattresses

and for babies to be tested for antimony. A second committee

published the 1998 Limerick Report, which is frequently cited by SIDS

organizations as finding no evidence to substantiate the claim that

toxic gases cause crib death. Contrary to this publicity, the

Limerick Report did not disprove the theory (Fitzpatrick 1998) - in

fact, it provides further confirmation of it (Sprott 2000).

The main orthodox crib death prevention recommendation is to put

babies to sleep on their backs. We know that babies do still die when

sleeping on their backs, although face-up sleeping does reduce the

risk. The gases are denser than air and tend to settle in a thin

layer directly on top of the mattress, so babies sleeping face-down

are more likely to inhale a lethal dose of the gases. The gases are

also absorbed through babies' skin, and this is one of the major

reasons why face-up sleeping provides only partial protection against

crib death (Sprott 1996).

However, no babies have died sleeping on a properly wrapped mattress.

This is crucial information for parents. Eight babies continue to die

every night in the United States from SIDS. Parents should be

provided with the information so that they are able to decide for

themselves whether they want to wait for the SIDS research

organizations or the government to endorse mattress-wrapping or

to " play it safe " as many parents have done in New Zealand. As Dr.

Sprott points out and no one has denied, " All New Zealand crib deaths

since mattress-wrapping began in late 1994 have occurred when parents

have not wrapped their babies' mattresses. An inexpensive, non-toxic

protective cover can surely do no harm. "

The assumption that our government agencies do everything they can to

protect our children is naive. The U.S. Consumer Products Safety

Commission has stated that BabeSafe mattress covers do not constitute

any safety risk to babies. These covers (manufactured in New Zealand)

are the only mattress covers designed to protect babies from toxic

gases generated in mattresses. Yet even though BabeSafe products are

simple, inexpensive, and safe, the FDA requires the manufacturer to

go through the expensive, complex, time-consuming procedure of

obtaining pre-market approval in order for BabeSafe covers to be bulk

imported into the U.S.

Instead of putting unnecessary hurdles in the way of a harmless and

potentially live-saving product, why don't the authorities endorse

mattress-wrapping in the U.S. to see if the results achieved in New

Zealand could be duplicated here? The score in New Zealand is now 550

deaths (orthodox crib death prevention advice) to none (mattress-

wrapping). With so many more babies born in the U.S. than in New

Zealand, the potential to save lives is dramatically greater -

thousands every year. Why should even one baby be denied something

that could potentially save his or her life?

Natural, non-toxic baby crib mattress - More Information

Factors That May Increase the Risk of Crib Death (including the

vaccination link)

IMPORTANT NOTE:

Use the information provided here as an educational resource for

determining your options and making your own informed choices.

Healthy Child does NOT make ANY claims that using a non-toxic

mattress or wrapping a mattress will prevent SIDS since this has not

been 100% scientifically proven. It is also known that vaccines can

cause SIDS. However, the fact that there have been no SIDS deaths

among the vast number of babies in New Zealand who have slept on

correctly wrapped mattresses is crucial information for parents. This

fact cannot be denied and should not be suppressed. The evidence is

very compelling, and we believe that parents should be informed so

they can make their own decisions on how to protect their babies.

References

Fitzpatrick, M.G. 1998. SIDS and The Toxic Gas Theory (letter), New

Zealand Medical Journal, October 9, 1998.

Kapuste, H. 2002. Giftige Gase im Kinderbett ( " Toxic Gases in

Infants' Beds " ), Zeitschrift fuer Umweltmedizin No. 44; January-April

2002:18-20

Hon A.F. King, M.P., 2001. New Zealand Minister of Health,

correspondence, April.

, P.R. 2001. Analysis of Official UK Statistics for Cot

Deaths and Infant Deaths by Other Causes, 1996-1999.

New Zealand Health Information Service (NZHIS), Official New Zealand

Cot Death Statistics.

, B.A. 1994. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: A Possible

Primary Cause. Journal of Forensic Science Soc. Jul-Sep; 34(3):199-

204.

SIDS Alliance. 2001. www.sidsalliance.org

Sprott, T.J. 2000. Critique of the 1998 UK Limerick Report.

www.cotlife2000.com

Sprott, T.J. 1996. The Cot Death Cover-Up? Auckland, New Zealand:

Penguin Books.

Sprott, T.J. 2000. Personal communication with an officer of the

Ministry of Health. August 11, 2000.

Sprott, T.J. 2000. Research Which Confirms and Supports the Toxic Gas

Theory For Cot Death

Sprott, T.J. 2003. The Cause of Cot Death and How to Prevent It, Cot

Life 2000, March 2003

Tappin et al, Used infant mattresses and sudden infant death syndrome

in Scotland: case-control study, British Medical Journal 2002;

325:1007

[Guest guest]

Here's the second part of the toxic gas article, which includes the

vaccinations link to SIDS. Also the vitamin C link:

http://www.healthychild.com/SIDS-crib-death-factors.htm

Crib Death (SIDS) From Toxic Gases in Mattresses

Factors That May Increase the Risk

(If you have not read the first part of this article, Has The Cause

of Crib Death (SIDS) Been Found?, Parents Denied Crucial Findings,

please read it first before continuing here.)

A baby's immature organs and other developing biological systems are

particularly vulnerable to toxic contaminants (Mott 1997). All babies

are susceptible to the toxic gases, but whether death, illness or

just irritability occurs to a baby depends on certain other factors.

As mentioned, face-down sleeping increases the risk of crib death

(SIDS). Other factors include:

Re-Used Mattresses

The risk of death increases when mattresses are re-used from one baby

to the next (Tappin 2002). The fungus has already had a chance to

establish itself in the used mattress. When the next baby uses the

same mattress, the fungus is soon active. Toxic gas production begins

sooner and is generated in greater volume. It is known that crib

death rates increase markedly from the first baby in a family to the

second, and from the second to the third, and so on ( 2001).

High Room Temperature and Overwrapping

Overheating is believed to play a role in SIDS (Wells 1997). High

room temperature and overwrapping of the baby can cause an increased

risk of death, since toxic gas generation is greatly increased when

the temperature of the bedding is raised. A five or six degree

Fahrenheit climb in temperature of the mattress and bedding can make

the fungi more active and thus increase gas generation about 10-20

times ( 1991). High room temperature, an overload of

blankets, or overdressing babies can cause them to receive higher

doses of the gases.

Infections and Decreased Immunity

A baby with a strong immune system will have fewer infections. During

infections, the heat (fever) generated by the baby's body increases

the temperature of the bedding, which increases toxic gas generation.

Heat stress (from infections and excessive room heat) is known to be

a significant risk factor for SIDS (Guntheroth 2001). An infection

can also lower a baby's tolerance to any given concentration of

gases. More than 90 percent of SIDS babies have had upper respiratory

infections shortly before death ( and Hattersley 2000).

Inadequate Vitamin C

Over 30 years ago, Archie Kalokerinos, M.D., a doctor practicing in

the outback of Australia, was able to eliminate the unusually high

incidence of SIDS by giving babies injections of ascorbate (vitamin

C). Dr. Kalokerinos found that vitamin C deficiency was an important

factor in the many diseases of the infants, especially sudden infant

death. His work was independently duplicated in the U.S. by Fred

Klenner, M.D. in Reidsville, North Carolina (Kalokerinos 1981).

Submissions of this evidence and documented case studies were made to

the medical authorities and SIDS experts, both in Australia and the

U.S. This evidence was completely ignored and no clinical trials were

recommended. Dr. Kalokerinos tells his story in Every Second Child, a

book that demonstrates the reluctance of many doctors to accept new

ideas (Kalokerinos 1981).

The systems of the body cannot function without adequate vitamin C.

It's been shown that many infants have marginal amounts in their

bodies (Kalokerinos 1981). Any stress, including injury or illness,

can increase the body's need for vitamin C (Cathcart 1981). Under

conditions such as vaccinations (Kalokerinos 1981, ing 1981),

upper respiratory infections, gastroenteritis, malnutrition, and

other viral and bacterial infections, the existing vitamin C can be

completely used up, leaving the immune system unable to cope with any

toxic threat to the body. This can leave a baby more vulnerable to

the toxic gases in mattresses ( and Hattersley 2000).

Dr. Sprott explains another reason why administering vitamin C to a

baby can lessen the chances of death from toxic gases. " The high

alkaline pH of babies' urine, dribble, perspiration, and vomit

enables the fungus to grow and to generate the toxic gases rapidly.

But consumption of vitamin C makes these bodily fluids acidic,

reversing the alkalinity in the baby's crib environment and

preventing gas generation. " (Sprott 1996)

Vaccinations

Vaccines are known to cause fevers in babies (CDC 2001). These fevers

can increase generation of the gases, exposing babies to higher

concentrations. In addition, vaccines can lead to the depletion of

vitamin C in a baby's body (Hattersley 1993 and ing 1981), and

damage the developing nervous and immune systems. Vaccines have also

been shown to cause stressed breathing (Scheibner 1993), weakened

immunity, and neurological damage (Neustaedter 1996), which can lower

the baby's ability to tolerate a given concentration of toxic gases.

Vaccines Alone Can Cause Death

Many researchers, doctors, scientists, and parents believe that

vaccines alone can cause SIDS. Indeed, vaccines do cause death, and

vaccine deaths are often labeled as SIDS cases. As Dawn Winkler,

former Vice President of Concerned Parents for Vaccine Safety, points

out, " The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program has even

compensated 93 families whose infants' deaths were labeled SIDS

because the parent had the evidence in the autopsy to prove the

vaccine caused it. Yet, the cause of death listing as " SIDS " was

never changed on the death certificates of these 93 babies. " (Winkler

2000)

Many " SIDS " parents have told the same story. Their previously

healthy babies were not the same from the time they were vaccinated

until they died. A high-pitched scream, excessive sleeping, poor

appetite, and troubled breathing were common. At the time of death,

no one investigates whether these babies could have died directly

from the vaccines alone or if vaccine damage may have lowered the

babies' capacity to withstand the toxic gases in their mattresses. No

one investigates this because our government and the medical

community deny that vaccines or toxic gases could be causes of death.

Instead they label these deaths as SIDS and maintain that they do not

know the cause. They refuse to accept the research that has already

been done in both of these areas and remain steadfast in their

commitment to deny any further research. Health officials continually

refer to vaccine manufacturer-sponsored studies reporting no

relationship between vaccines and SIDS. Some of these studies have

been strongly criticized (Coulter 1996) and called into question

because of potential biases that underestimate the risk of SIDS from

vaccines (Fine 1992).

The assumption that SIDS is vaccine-related could very well be

accurate. It may be that vaccines are an indirect factor in SIDS

cases, and may even be the deciding factor that could cause a baby to

succumb to the toxic gases. Perhaps some or even many SIDS babies may

have survived the toxic insult of the gases were it not for

vaccinations.

Unfortunately, we have to leave this to speculation since this is not

studied. But what we do know is that not one baby has died sleeping

on a properly wrapped mattress. Many of the babies sleeping on

wrapped mattresses were vaccinated, but none of them were exposed to

the gases. Vaccination rates among the Pakeha (non-Maori) people in

New Zealand, who have enthusiastically adopted mattress-wrapping, are

very high. These people now have the lowest crib death rate in the

world. The crib death rate is about seven times higher among Maori

babies in New Zealand, who have not adopted mattress-wrapping and who

are vaccinated far less than the Pakeha.

In Victory Over Crib Death, Lendon H. , MD and ph G.

Hattersley, MA astutely point out, " If vaccinations directly caused

crib death, the proportions would be reversed. " The article Victory

Over Crib Death is a summary of 's and Hattersley's book, The

Infant Survival Guide: Protecting Your Baby From the Dangers of Crib

Death, Vaccines and Other Environmental Hazards. This book is

considered by some to be a definitive guide to ending the terrible

tragedy of crib death and proposes a new paradigm; that toxic gases

are the single cause of nearly all crib deaths. In addition to

advocating mattress-wrapping, the authors strongly recommend against

vaccinations.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

Use the information provided here as an educational resource for

determining your options and making your own informed choices.

Healthy Child does NOT make ANY claims that using a non-toxic

mattress or wrapping a mattress will prevent SIDS since this has not

been 100% scientifically proven. Vaccines are also known to cause

SIDS. However, the fact that there have been no SIDS deaths among the

vast number of babies in New Zealand who have slept on correctly

wrapped mattresses is crucial information for parents. This fact

cannot be denied and should not be suppressed. The evidence is very

compelling, and we believe that parents should be informed so they

can make their own decisions on how to protect their babies.

References

Cathcart, F. III, M.D. 1981. Vitamin C, Titrating to Bowel

Tolerance, Anascorbemia, and Acute Induced Scurvy. Medical

Hypotheses, 7:1359-1376.

Center for Disease Control (CDC). 2001. Vaccine Side Effects.

www.cdc.gov/nip

Coulter, . 1996. Vaccination Debate: Do Vaccines Cause Cot

Deaths? Center For Empirical Medicine.

Fine, P.E., VMD and Chen, R.T., MD. 1992. Confounding in Studies of

Adverse Reactions to Vaccines. American Journal of Epidemiology, July

15, 1992; 136(2):121-135.

Guntheroth, W.G.and Spiers, P.S. 2001. Thermal Stress in Sudden

Infant Death. Pediatrics. Apr; 107(4): 693-8.

Hattersley, ph. 1993. The Answer to Crib Death " Sudden Infant

Death Syndrome " (SIDS). Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine Volume 8,

Number 4, 1993, pp.229-245

Kalokerinos, Archie, M.D. 1981. Every Second Child. New Canaan, CT:

Keats Publishing.

, P.R. 2001. Analysis of Official UK Statistics for Cot

Deaths and Infant Deaths by Other Causes, 1996-1999.

Mott, L. 1997. Our Children at Risk: The Five Worst Environmental

Threats to Their Health, Natural Resources Defense Council, November

1997

Neustaedter, Randall, OMD. 1996. The Vaccine Guide: Making An

Informed Choice. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books.

ing, Linus. 1981. Foreword to Every Second Child by Kalokerinos.

New Canaan, CT: Keats Publishing.

, B.A. 1991. Cot Death: Must Babies Still Die? November 1991

Scheibner, Viera. 1993. Vaccination: The Medical Assault on the

Immune System. Blackheath, NSW Australia: V. Scheibner.

, Lendon H., M.D., and ph Hattersley. 2000. The Infant

Survival Guide: Protecting Your Baby From the Dangers of Crib Death,

Vaccines and Other Environmental Hazards. Petaluma, CA: Smart

Publications.

, Lendon H., M.D., and ph Hattersley. 2000. Victory Over

Crib Death. Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients. Aug/Sept.

Sprott, T.J. 1996. The Cot Death Cover-Up? Auckland, New Zealand:

Penguin Books.

Tappin et al, Used infant mattresses and sudden infant death syndrome

in Scotland: case-control study, British Medical Journal 2002;

325:1007

Wells, J.C. 1997. Can Risk Factors for Over-Heating Explain

Epidemiological Features of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome? Med

Hypotheses. Feb; 48(2):103-6.

Winkler, Dawn. 2000. SIDS - Do Vaccines Play a Role? eHealthy News

You Can Use - www.mercola.com. November 19 - Issue 180.

[Guest guest]

Unfortunately, there really aren't any completely safe options

available right now for adult beds. Dr. Sprott, the scientist who

designed the BabeSafe mattress covers, refuses to make them for adult

beds. The reason being that he is strongly against bedsharing. He feels

that it is not safe and if a baby dies on an adult bed wrapped in a

BabeSafe mattress cover, the whole crib death campaign will be

tarnished. Remember, so far no baby has ever died on a wrapped

mattress. So BabeSafe will only make them for cribs, co-sleepers that

go right next to your bed, and bassinettes. As far as I know, BabeSafe

covers are the only covers that are tested to block the gases. Buying

the polyethylene at a home depot-type store is risky since it is not

tested and you really don't know what you are getting. There are a lot

of different grades of polyethylene. Some people have purchased several

BabeSafe crib-size covers and taped them together to wrap their adult

mattress. Just make sure the baby is nowhere near the tape seams. I'm

not saying I recommend this, I just know that some have chosen to do

this.

You can buy an adult " non-toxic " mattress, but they're expensive and

there are issues with this. Most natural cotton mattresses also contain

wool as a fire retardant. Wool can contain phosphorus, which generates

a toxic gas, so even though wool is natural, it may not really be non-

toxic.

I have found the NaturePedic mattress that contains no wool to be the

safest mattress available (besides the BabeSafe mattress-only available

in NZ). I also found it to be the least expensive. I don't want this to

sound like an ad, since I do sell these mattresses on my website. But

I've been researching the toxic mattress thing for many years, looking

for the best options for parents. I was contacted by Barry Cik last

year, an environmental scientist who developed the NaturePedic

mattress. I agreed to sell the crib mattresses as long as he promised

to also create the same design in adult sizes so that co-sleeping

parents have a safe option, too. Right now, I don't know of any

completely safe mattress options for babies sleeping in adult beds. But

NaturePedic is working on it.

So here's another one of those situations where you weigh the pros and

cons and make a decision that's comfortable for you. It really just

depends on how strict you want to be regarding the mattress. I believe

the benefits of co-sleeping are enormous and positively affects the

emotional and physical health of a baby in a very big way. If you

exclusively breastfeed, do not vaccinate, and practice safe co-

sleeping, you've reduced the risk of SIDS. I also believe that the

physiological regulation of the baby's breathing and heartbeat with the

mother's makes co-sleeping safer regarding SIDS. And the fact that the

mother is right there and will most likely wake up if the baby stopped

breathing. Of course, this is all just my opinion – no formal SIDS

prevention advice here!

Jane Sheppard

Healthy Child

http://www.healthychild.com

>

> This is what vexes me as a cosleeping mom. They make wraps for the

crib

> mattresses, but not for grown-up mattresses. So I worry about my guy.

> At least he's not vaccinated, though, so he's got that going for him.

> -Angie

>

[Guest guest]

What about futon matresses that are all cotton?

--- jmshep888 <janeshep@...> wrote:

> Unfortunately, there really aren't any completely

> safe options

> available right now for adult beds. Dr.

> Sprott, the scientist who

> designed the BabeSafe mattress covers, refuses to

> make them for adult

> beds. The reason being that he is strongly against

> bedsharing. He feels

> that it is not safe and if a baby dies on an adult

> bed wrapped in a

> BabeSafe mattress cover, the whole crib death

> campaign will be

> tarnished. Remember, so far no baby has ever died on

> a wrapped

> mattress. So BabeSafe will only make them for cribs,

> co-sleepers that

> go right next to your bed, and bassinettes. As far

> as I know, BabeSafe

> covers are the only covers that are tested to block

> the gases. Buying

> the polyethylene at a home depot-type store is risky

> since it is not

> tested and you really don't know what you are

> getting. There are a lot

> of different grades of polyethylene. Some people

> have purchased several

> BabeSafe crib-size covers and taped them together to

> wrap their adult

> mattress. Just make sure the baby is nowhere near

> the tape seams. I'm

> not saying I recommend this, I just know that some

> have chosen to do

> this.

>

> You can buy an adult " non-toxic " mattress, but

> they're expensive and

> there are issues with this. Most natural cotton

> mattresses also contain

> wool as a fire retardant. Wool can contain

> phosphorus, which generates

> a toxic gas, so even though wool is natural, it may

> not really be non-

> toxic.

>

> I have found the NaturePedic mattress that contains

> no wool to be the

> safest mattress available (besides the BabeSafe

> mattress-only available

> in NZ). I also found it to be the least expensive. I

> don't want this to

> sound like an ad, since I do sell these mattresses

> on my website. But

> I've been researching the toxic mattress thing for

> many years, looking

> for the best options for parents. I was contacted by

> Barry Cik last

> year, an environmental scientist who developed the

> NaturePedic

> mattress. I agreed to sell the crib mattresses as

> long as he promised

> to also create the same design in adult sizes so

> that co-sleeping

> parents have a safe option, too. Right now, I don't

> know of any

> completely safe mattress options for babies sleeping

> in adult beds. But

> NaturePedic is working on it.

>

> So here's another one of those situations where you

> weigh the pros and

> cons and make a decision that's comfortable for you.

> It really just

> depends on how strict you want to be regarding the

> mattress. I believe

> the benefits of co-sleeping are enormous and

> positively affects the

> emotional and physical health of a baby in a very

> big way. If you

> exclusively breastfeed, do not vaccinate, and

> practice safe co-

> sleeping, you've reduced the risk of SIDS. I also

> believe that the

> physiological regulation of the baby's breathing and

> heartbeat with the

> mother's makes co-sleeping safer regarding SIDS. And

> the fact that the

> mother is right there and will most likely wake up

> if the baby stopped

> breathing. Of course, this is all just my opinion

�

> no formal SIDS

> prevention advice here!

>

> Jane Sheppard

> Healthy Child

> http://www.healthychild.com

>

>

> >

> > This is what vexes me as a cosleeping mom. They

> make wraps for the

> crib

> > mattresses, but not for grown-up mattresses. So I

> worry about my guy.

> > At least he's not vaccinated, though, so he's got

> that going for him.

> > -Angie

> >

>

>

>

>

________________________________________________________________________________\

____

Everyone is raving about the all-new

(http://advision.webevents./mailbeta/)

[Guest guest]

<Vaccinations/message/98353;_ylc=X3oDMTJwZmo5Z

GUwBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE1BGdycElkAzE1NjU3BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTEyNjE3MQRtc2dJZAM5ODM1M

wRzZWMDZG1zZwRzbGsDdm1zZwRzdGltZQMxMTYyMDMxMTIy> Re: Baby Dies/Now

co-sleeping

Posted by: " c a "

<mailto:calsones@...?Subject=%20Re%3A%20Baby%20Dies%2FNow%20co-sleepin

g> calsones@... <calsones> calsones

Fri Oct 27, 2006 3:06 pm (PST)

What about futon matresses that are all cotton?

If you can find one that really is 100% cotton without fire retardants

(including borate powder), then that should be safe. So far, I haven't found

any that are really 100% cotton and not treated. Please let me know if you

do find one.

Jane

Jane Sheppard

Healthy Child

<http://www.healthychild.com/> http://www.healthychild.com

Subscribe to our free Healthy Child newsletter to receive kids natural

health articles and vital information to protect your child's health:

<http://www.healthychild.com/kids-health-natural-holistic.htm>

http://www.healthychild.com/kids-health-natural-holistic.htm

[Guest guest]

Jane,

I thought all mattresses sold in the U.S. were required to contain fire

retardants. So wool would be the only organic fire-retardant option. Or

what other (healthy) options are there? -Angie

On Saturday, October 28, 2006, at 11:01 AM, Jane Sheppard wrote:

>

> <Vaccinations/message/

> 98353;_ylc=X3oDMTJwZmo5Z

> GUwBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE1BGdycElkAzE1NjU3BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTEyNjE3MQRtc2dJZAM5

> ODM1M

> wRzZWMDZG1zZwRzbGsDdm1zZwRzdGltZQMxMTYyMDMxMTIy> Re: Baby Dies/Now

> co-sleeping

>

> Posted by: " c a "

> <mailto:calsones@...?Subject=%20Re%3A%20Baby%20Dies%2FNow%20co-

> sleepin

> g> calsones@... <calsones> calsones

>

> Fri Oct 27, 2006 3:06 pm (PST)

>

> What about futon matresses that are all cotton?

>

> If you can find one that really is 100% cotton without fire retardants

> (including borate powder), then that should be safe. So far, I haven't

> found

> any that are really 100% cotton and not treated. Please let me know if

> you

> do find one.

>

> Jane

>

> Jane Sheppard

> Healthy Child

> <http://www.healthychild.com/> http://www.healthychild.com

>

> Subscribe to our free Healthy Child newsletter to receive kids natural

> health articles and vital information to protect your child's health:

>

> <http://www.healthychild.com/kids-health-natural-holistic.htm>

> http://www.healthychild.com/kids-health-natural-holistic.htm

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thank you for all this info., by the way. I knew it in bits and pieces

from stuff I'd read but didn't have any internet references or info all

in one place. -Angie

On Friday, October 27, 2006, at 10:19 AM, jmshep888 wrote:

>

> >

> > As far as being concerned about babies sleeping on

> > crib matresses, what about regular matresses? Is it

> > only the PVC that is a cause for concern?

> >

>

> All mattresses (crib and adult) are toxic, unless they are 100%

> cotton and do not contain antimony, phosphorus and arsenic. Here is

> an article that gets into the specifics of the chemicals in

> mattresses.

>

> I will also post an article that gets into the toxic gas and SIDS

> connection.

>

> Jane

>

> http://www.healthychild.com/toxic-chemicals-baby-mattress.htm

>

> FIVE PROBLEMS WITH BABY MATTRESSES (Toxic Chemicals)

>

> by: Barry A. Cik, PE, CP, DEE, QEP, REM, CHMM*

> Chief Engineer, G.E.M. Testing & Engineering Labs

>

> Introduction

>

> This report, " Five Problems With Baby Mattresses, " is intended to

> highlight the potential dangers of using baby mattresses composed of

> vinyl (polyvinyl chloride or PVC), phthalates, polyurethane foam,

> harsh chemical fire retardants, and other chemical additives.

>

> It is becoming increasingly clear that toxic chemicals are affecting

> our children. A primary source of toxic chemicals in the environment

> of a child during its first few years of life is the mattress and

> bedding. Removing potentially harmful chemicals from these prominent

> objects represents a prudent approach for concerned parents and their

> doctors.

>

> Here is an overview of some specific concerns with baby mattresses:

>

> o Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), the surface material used in nearly all

> baby mattresses, is widely considered to be one of the most toxic and

> environmentally unfriendly plastics in use today.

>

> o Phthalates, associated with asthma, reproductive effects, and

> cancer, make up 30% by weight of the PVC surface of a typical baby

> mattress. Phthalates are not bound to the plastic and leach out.

>

> o The FDA and Consumer Product Safety Commission have issued general

> warnings regarding the use of phthalates, yet the PVC surfaces of

> baby mattresses still contain phthalates.

>

> o DEHP (the most commonly used phthalate in baby mattresses),

> together with several other phthalates, have already been banned

> across Europe for use in many children's products.

>

> o The PVC surface of a typical baby mattress is also treated with

> toxic fire retardant chemicals such as antimony. Various biocides are

> often added as well.

>

> o Polyurethane foam, the predominant filling material used in baby

> mattresses, typically contains various problematic ingredients

> including chemical catalysts, surfactants, emulsifiers, pigments, and

> other chemical additives. These frequently include formaldehyde,

> benzene, toluene, and other well established toxic chemicals such as

> organotin compounds.

>

> o Polyurethane foam (essentially solid petroleum) is extremely

> flammable. To combat this hazard, industrial toxic fire retardants

> are added. The most common chemical fire retardant used to treat

> polyurethane foam has been pentaBDE, a toxin associated with

> hyperactivity and neuro-behavioral alterations. PentaBDE is not bound

> to the foam, and leaches out into the surrounding air.

>

> o PentaBDE has recently been banned in Europe. It has also been

> banned by the State of California as of 2006. However, there is

> currently no planned government action to recall the millions of baby

> mattresses presently in use that contain pentaBDE.

>

> o Other common materials found in baby mattresses include " shoddy "

> pads made from scraps swept off the floor of textile mills or " hair "

> pads made from pig hair.

>

> o Children are far more vulnerable to toxic chemicals than adults,

> especially within their first few years of life. Considering that

> children spend over 50% of their early life on a baby mattress, it

> would be prudent to use materials that don't contain such dangerous

> chemicals.

>

> The NaturePedic® No-Compromise™ Baby Mattress, designed by G.E.M.

> Testing & Engineering Labs, addresses these and other issues.

>

> Disclosures and Disclaimers: G.E.M. Testing & Engineering Labs serves

> in the capacity of technical consultant to NaturePedic. Barry A. Cik,

> a quarter century veteran in the field of environmental engineering,

> and chief engineer at G.E.M. Testing & Engineering Labs, formulated

> the NaturePedic design. Credentials, licenses, and certifications are

> listed for identification purposes only. All informational sources

> presented here are presumed to be reliable. This report is not

> intended to engage in medical research or the diagnosis or treatment

> of any disease. For medical related questions, please follow the

> advice of your physician.

>

> The Five Problems with Baby Mattresses

>

> Over the last 30+ years, baby mattress materials have been replaced

> with cheap petroleum-based synthetics. Nearly all baby mattresses

> today contain polyurethane foam, vinyl (PVC), phthalates, chemical

> fire retardants, and an extensive list of added industrial chemicals.

> Recent studies have questioned the use of these materials. Some of

> these chemicals have even been shown to leach out into the

> surrounding air.

>

> " The results of the study demonstrated that some crib mattresses

> emitted mixtures of chemicals capable of causing respiratory-tract

> irritation and generating combinations of SI [sensory irritation], PI

> [pulminary irritation] and AFL [airflow limitation]... chemicals

> involved in the manufacture of the mattress and cover... have toxic

> properties... to lung, liver, and brain... respiratory tract

> irritants... carcinogenic and neurotoxic. "

> (, lind C., PhD, " Respiratory Toxicity of Mattress

> Emissions in Mice. " Archives of Environmental Health Jan. 2000.

> www.andersonlaboratories.com)

>

> Babies and toddlers spend 10-14 hours a day sleeping and playing on a

> baby mattress. Furthermore, a child's every breath inhales air no

> more than six inches away from these chemicals. As such, for the

> first few years of a child's life, the mattress is the single most

> prominent object in the child's environment.

>

> Problem #1: The Vinyl/PVC surface of a typical baby mattress consists

> of 30% phthalates that can leach out into your child's crib

>

> In order to make the vinyl surface of a typical baby mattress soft

> and flexible, phthalate plasticizers are added (most commonly DEHP).

> Phthalates typically account for 30% by weight of the vinyl surface

> of a typical baby mattress.

>

> " Phthalates are animal carcinogens and can cause fetal death,

> malformations, and reproductive toxicity in laboratory animals...

> children may be at higher risk of adverse effects of phthalates

> because of anticipated higher exposures during a time of

> developmental and physiologic immaturity... Phthalates are not

> covalently bound to the plastic matrix and leach out of PVC... "

> (Shea, M. MD MPH and the Committee on Environmental

> Health. " Pediatric Exposure and Potential Toxicity of Phthalate

> Plasticizers. " American Academy of Pediatrics. Pediatrics Volume 111

> No. 6. June 2003. Pg. 1467.

> http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;111/6

> /1467)

>

> " Although DEHP plasticizes numerous products, roughly 95% of the

> current production is used in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) (National

> Toxicology Program 2003), where it typically constitutes 30% of PVC

> by weight... phthalate (DEHP) was associated with asthma… This study

> shows that phthalates, within the range of what is normally found in

> indoor environments, are associated with allergic symptoms in

> children. "

> (Bornehag, Carl-Gustaf, et al. " The Association Between Asthma and

> Allergic Symptoms in Children and Phthalates in House Dusts. "

> National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Environmental

> Health Perspectives. Oct 2004.

> http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/docs/2004/7187/abstract.html?

> section=children)

>

> A study of phthalates in hospital settings revealed the following:

>

> " Other potential respiratory exposures to DEHP in the NICU include

> off-gassing from... mattress covers... DEHP exposures continue when

> the neonate arrives at home... off-gassing of indoor vinyl products. "

> (Brody, Charlotte. " Neonatal Exposure to DEHP and Opportunites for

> Prevention. " Health Care Without Harm. July 13, 2000.

> http://www.noharm.org/details.cfm?type=document & id=379)

>

> " The CDC report provides definitive evidence that phthalates in soft

> PVC plastic are getting into virtually all of our bodies. "

> (Brody, Charlotte. " New CDC Report Finds Phthalates and Other

> Chemicals Commonly Used in Hospitals

> at Highest Levels in Children. " Health Care Without Harm. February 5,

> 2005.

> http://www.noharm.org/details.cfm?type=document & id=707)

>

> In 1998, the National Environmental Trust, together with other

> environmental groups, asked the Consumer Product Safety Commission

> (CPSC) to ban the use of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in products

> intended for children under age five. While the CPSC could not

> entirely ban PVC, they recently asked manufacturers of baby products

> to voluntarily discontinue the use of phthalate plasticizers. Most

> manufacturers are removing phthalates from toys (now generally made

> only with hard PVC plastic). However, phthalates are not currently

> being removed from baby mattresses (as this would turn the mattress

> surface into hard plastic and make it unusable).

>

> Problem #2: The PVC surface of a typical baby mattress presents

> unusually high health risks

>

> All plastics are not created equal. PVC is made from vinyl chloride,

> which is a combination of petroleum (ethylene) and chlorine. This

> particular plastic is far more toxic than the plastic bag you might

> use to pack your lunch.

>

> " The chemical composition of PVC includes two features. First, PVC is

> the only plastic that contains chlorine... Second, plasticizers,

> i.e., additives, are used in PVC, mostly diethyl hexyl phthalate

> (DEHP), from 0 to almost 50% of the weight... In conclusion, in our

> case-control study of testicular cancer, a somewhat surprisingly high

> risk was observed for exposure to PVC plastics. "

> (Hardell, Lennart, et al. " Occupational Exposure to Polyvinyl

> Chloride as a Risk Factor for Testicular Cancer Evaluated in a Case-

> Control Study. " International Journal of Cancer. 73, 828-830 1997.

> www.mindfully.org/Pesticide/Occupational-Exposure-PVC.htm. See also

> National Library of Medicine)

>

> In a study that made the front page of USA today, phthalates were

> linked to reproductive effects:

>

> Consistent toxicologic evidence indicates association between several

> of these phthalate esters and reproductive effects... DEHP has been

> shown to... reduce testosterone... commonly used phthalates may

> undervirilize humans "

> (Swan, et al, " Decrease in Anogenital Distance Among Male Infants

> with Prenatal Phthalate Exposure. " University of Rochester School of

> Medicine, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences,

> Environmental Health Perspectives, June, 2005.

> www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0CYP/is_8_113/ai_n15343367)

>

> Some of the chemicals frequently added to the PVC surface of a

> typical baby mattress can include lead, cadmium, phosphorus, and

> others. In particular, antimony, the primary fire retardant used on

> the vinyl plastic surface of most baby mattresses, can be quite

> harmful even at low levels.

>

> " ... animals that breathed very low levels of antimony had eye

> irritation, hair loss, lung damage and heart problems. Problems with

> fertility were also noted... Where is antimony found?… Most antimony

> oxide produced is added to textiles and plastics as fire

> retardant... "

> ( " Antimony and Antimony Compounds. " Pollution Prevention Factsheet.

> Ohio EPA. Number 102. September 2002.

> www.epa.state.oh.us/opp/mercury_pbt/fact102.pdf)

>

> According to Health Care Without Harm, " many hospitals are

> reconsidering their use of polyvinyl chloride (PVC or vinyl) medical

> products. Their concerns with PVC products relate to patient safety

> or potential environmental health effects. "

> (http://noharm.org/details.cfm?type=document & id=741). DEHP, the most

> common phthalate used in vinyl baby mattresses, has already been

> banned in Europe for many children's products.

>

> Problem #3: Typical baby mattresses use petroleum as filling

>

> Nearly all baby mattresses today use polyurethane foam (also known as

> urethane foam or just " foam " ) as internal filling. Polyurethane foam

> contains various problematic ingredients associated with numerous

> health hazards. It deteriorates over time, breaking up into small

> dust-like particles that can easily become airborne (releasing VOCs

> into the air).

>

> " Avoid heavily chemically treated mattresses filled with polyurethane

> foam... Polyurethane foam offgasses VOCs, especially toluene...

> Formaldehyde and other VOC offgassing is associated with...

> mattresses. " ( " Green Birthdays. " American College of Nurse-Midwives.

> www.midwivesofwa.org/greenbirthdays.pdf)

>

> Some of the health hazards listed on manufacturer material safety

> data sheets (MSDS) for polyurethane foam include: possible cardiac

> arrhythmias, breathlessness, chest discomfort, irritation of mucous

> membranes, headache, coughing, asthma-like allergic reaction,

> dizziness, weakness, fatigue, nausea, blurred vision, and reduced

> pulmonary function.

>

> Polyurethane foam is produced by combining a polyol (petroleum based)

> with an isocyanate (usually toluene diisocyanate or TDI), which is a

> highly toxic substance. The EPA has identified several chemicals used

> in the fabrication of polyurethane foam as hazardous air pollutants

> (hydrochloric acid, 2,4-toluene diisocyanate, and hydrogen cyanide).

>

> " Exposure to these substances has been demonstrated to cause adverse

> health effects such as irritation of the lung, eye, and mucous

> membranes, effects on the central nervous system, and cancer. "

> ( " National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Flexible

> Polyurethane Foam Fabrication Operations. " Environmental Protection

> Agency (EPA), 40 CFR Part 63, Final Rule, Federal Register/Volume 68,

> No. 71/Monday, April 14, 2003/Rules and Regulations, Pg 18062)

>

> " Organotin compounds - Found in... polyurethane foams... can disrupt

> the hormone, reproductive, and immune systems. Animal studies show

> that exposure early in life can also have long-term effects on brain

> development. "

> ( " Hazardous Chemicals Found in Household Dust Across U.S. " Health

> Care Without Harm. March 24, 2005. www.noharm.org/details.cfm?

> ID=1037 & type=document)

>

> Problem #4: Polyurethane foam is highly flammable

>

> Polyurethane foam is a petroleum product and is highly flammable.

> This poses a significant danger.

>

> " If ignited, polyurethane foam can burn rapidly, releasing great heat

> and consuming oxygen. In an enclosed space, the resulting deficiency

> of oxygen can present a danger of suffocation to the occupants. Smoke

> and gases released by burning foam can be incapacitating to human

> beings if inhaled in sufficient quantities. " (Polyurethane Foam

> Industry-Wide Warning Label)

>

> Polyurethane foam decomposes into deadly and hazardous gases when

> ignited.

>

> " Thermal decomposition products from polyurethane foam consists

> mainly of carbon monoxide, benzene, toluene, oxides of nitrogen,

> hydrogen cyanide, acetaldehyde, acetone, propene... "

> (OSHA Hazard Information Bulletins. " The Fire Hazard of Polyurethane

> and Other Organic Foam Insulation Aboard Ships and In Construction. "

> U.S. Department of Labor. Occupational Safety & Health

> Administration. www.osha.gov/dts/hib/hib_data/hib19890510.html)

>

> According to R. Barnett, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Fire

> Protection Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic

> Institute, " polyurethane foam produces ten times more carbon monoxide

> for each gram burned than does wood. "

> (http://encarta.msn.com/text_761563809___13/Fire.html)

>

> " ...carbon monoxide is the deadly gas and will kill us before the

> flames do. "

> ( " Mattresses: Deadly Fire Hazards. " CBS News. The Early Show.

> Interview with U.S. Deputy Fire Administrator Chief Charlie

> Dickinson. June 28, 2004.

> www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/06/28/earlyshow/living/home/main626380.sh

> tml)

>

> Problem #5: Toxic fire-retardant chemicals are typically added

>

> Due to the high flammability of polyurethane foam, industrial

> strength toxic chemical fire retardants are typically added to meet

> the minimum flammability standards set by government agencies. While

> there are no laws or regulations regarding the materials or chemicals

> permitted to be used in baby mattresses (other than basic labeling

> requirements), the government does mandate minimum flammability

> standards. The most common chemical fire retardants used to treat

> polyurethane foam for the past several decades have been

> polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), in particular, pentaBDE.

>

> " PentaBDE... is predominantly used as a flame retardant in

> polyurethane foam... exposure can damage the thyroid and liver and

> cause hyperactivity, changes in motor behavior, and other brain

> functions... Because pentaBDE is not chemically bound to the polymer

> [foam], pentaBDE particles can leach out into the air. People can be

> exposed to pentaBDE through inhalation... Polyurethane foam typically

> contains 10-30% pentaBDE by weight. "

> ( " Penta-Brominated Diphenyl Ether/PentaBDE. " University of

> Massachusetts. Lowell Center for Sustainable Production. Fact Sheet.

> March 2003)

>

> " Thyroid and neurobehavioral alterations... are possible effects of

> concern in children exposed to PBBs or PBDEs. "

> ( " Public Health Statement: Polybrominated Biphenyls and

> Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBBs and PBDEs). " Agency for Toxic

> Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), U.S. Department of Health

> and Human Services

> www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/phs68.html#bookmark06)

>

> PentaBDE has recently been banned in Europe and by the State of

> California (as of 2006) with other states to follow. Some

> manufacturers are beginning to replace PentaBDE with its precursor,

> decaBDE, or other chemical based fire retardants or barriers (e.g.

> modacrylic, PAN, other PBDEs, etc.). These replacements are arguably

> no better. Meanwhile, there is currently no plan to recall the

> millions of baby mattresses presently in use that contain the banned

> pentaBDE.

>

> Are Toxic Chemicals Harming Our Children?

>

> Many researchers suspect that toxic chemicals are playing a

> significant role in the dramatic increase in childhood disorders.

> Just as lead paint was once widespread before it was found to be

> toxic and banned, many components of today's baby mattresses are also

> toxic. Eventhough these chemicals are currently legal, they are

> likely to eventually be banned as well.

>

> There is growing concern among physicians, health professionals,

> public safety officials, environmental advocacy groups, and consumers

> regarding the possible effects of these chemicals on our children.

> Some of these chemicals have already been implicated in various

> childhood disorders.

>

> " Today, children are exposed to thousands of substances in the

> environment, most of which have never been tested for toxicity to

> children... The implications of this massive experiment in exposure

> are unknown. Environmental toxicants are suspected to be correlated

> with many disorders that, until recently, have been assumed to be

> genetic in origin... attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder, and

> autism are among the disorders that may be linked to environmental

> toxicants. "

> (Center for Children's Health and the Environment at the Mount Sinai

> School of Medicine, New York.

> www.childenvironment.org/factsheets/environmental_pediatrics.htm)

>

> " ... EPA has determined that infants up to age two are, on average,

> ten times more vulnerable to carcinogenic chemicals than adults, and

> for some cancer causing agents are up to 65 times more vulnerable...

> children accumulate up to 50 percent of their lifetime cancer risk by

> their second birthday... many chemicals linked to mutagenic activity

> are commonly used in consumer products and can contribute to

> children's exposure to carcinogens. "

> (Children's Health Policy Review: " EPA Cancer Policy Revisions

> Highlight Risks to Children. " 3 Mar. 2003.

> Environmental Working Group.

> www.ewg.org/issues/risk_assessment/20030303/index.php)

>

> " We have come to understand that chemicals in the environment can

> cause a wide range of developmental disabilities in children. In the

> words of pediatrician Herbert L. Needleman, 'We are conducting a vast

> toxicologic experiment in our society, in which our children and our

> children's children are the experimental subjects. "

> ( " The Developing Brain and the Environment: An Introduction. " Bernard

> Weiss MD, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry,

> and Philip J. Landrigan MD, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York.

> Environmental Health Perspectives. Volume 108 Supplement 3. June

> 2000. http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/docs/2000/suppl-3/intro.html)

>

> Childhood Disorders On The Rise

>

> Childhood disorders have been rising dramatically. These disorders

> include autism, ADD/ADHD, asthma, allergies, cancer and more. They

> were extremely rare only a couple generations ago.

>

> " The survey found that nearly one out of 10 (9.2%) American children

> 18 years of age and younger currently suffers from asthma. This

> figure is comparable to the most current estimate of the National

> Center for Health Statistics, which estimates that 8.8% of children

> 18 years of age and younger have the disease. " (Children & Asthma in

> America. " Executive Summary. "

> www.asthmainamerica.com/children_index.html)

>

> Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears

> during the first three years of life... affecting an estimated 1 in

> 250 births (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2003)...

> Based on statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and other

> governmental agencies, autism is growing

> at a rate of 10-17% a year. "

> (Autism Society of America. " What is Autism?. " www.autism-

> society.org/site/PageServer?pagename=whatisautism)

>

> " Recent epidimiology studies have shown that autism spectrum

> disorders are ten times more prevalent than they were just 10 years

> ago... Autism spectrum disorders occur in as many as one in every 166

> births. "

> (National Alliance for Autism Research. " What is Autism? - History. "

> www.naar.org/aboutaut/whatis_hist.htm)

>

> Researchers are increasingly concluding that the dramatic rise in

> many childhood disorders is not primarily caused by any significant

> increase in awareness or diagnostic methodologies. 10-30 years ago,

> the medical community was well able to diagnose these disorders.

> Furthermore, normal genetics is also not a likely explanation as the

> increases are too dramatic and too rapid. Finally, to the degree that

> genetic mutations are involved, the question still remains as to what

> is causing these mutations and/or triggering these disorders.

>

> " The increases are too rapid to reflect genetic changes, and better

> diagnostic detection is not

> a likely explanation. The strong probability exists that

> environmental factors are playing a role. "

> (Philip Landrigan, MD, Pediatrician. Mount Sinai School of Medicine,

> Advisor to Office of Children's Health at U.S. EPA. H. Cushman

> Jr., New York Times, 9/29/97)

>

> " The incidence of asthma and allergy has increased throughout the

> developed world over the past 30 years (Beasley et al. 2003). The

> short interval over which it has occured implies that the increase is

> caused by changes in environmental exposures rather than genetic

> changes (Etzel 2003; Stachan 2000). "

> (Bornehag, Carl-Gustaf, et al. " The Association Between Asthma and

> Allergic Symptoms in Children and Phthalates

> in House Dusts. " Environmental Health Perspectives Oct. 2004.

> http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/docs/2004/7187/abstract.html?

> section=children)

>

> " ... children are more vulnerable to the effects of carcinogens than

> adults. In fact, chemicals that cause cancer via genetic mutations

> were up to 65 times more potent when exposures occur during childhood

> instead of adulthood. "

> ( " Children's Health Policy Review: EPA cancer policy revisions

> highlight risks to children. " 3 Mar. 2003.

> Environmental Working Group.

> www.ewg.org/issues/risk_assessment/20030303/index.php)

>

> How Are Toxic Chemicals Allowed?

>

> Many specific consumer products are fairly well regulated with

> respect to their ingredients. These include food, drugs, and other

> specific items such as lead in paint. There are also various types of

> regulations for many other consumer products such as pesticides,

> alcohol, tobacco, firearms, medical devices, and motor vehicles.

> However, the use of chemicals in most other consumer products is

> largely unregulated. These include many of the chemicals typically

> found in baby mattresses.

>

> " Most people assume the government polices commercial chemicals in

> the same way the FDA polices drugs, but it's not true... there's no

> sheriff in town. "

> (Andy Igrejas, Director of the Environmental Health Campaign. Tony

> Iallonardo, National Environmental Trust. " Toxic Chemicals Widespread

> in Consumer Products. " 14 July 2004.

> http://environet.policy.net/proactive/newsroom/release.vtml?id=28735)

>

> " No one is systematically tracking the use of any of these chemicals

> in consumer products, or the resulting human exposures to these

> chemicals in spite of the chemicals' known or potential human health

> hazards... Currently, chemicals can be incorporated in consumer

> products and sold on store shelves, even in products used by

> children, with no up-front cancer [or other safety] testing. "

> ( " EPA Cancer Policy Revisions Highlight Risks to Children. "

> Environmental Working Group. Children's Health Policy Review. March

> 3. 2003)

>

> The average consumer naturally assumes that what is sold on the

> market (certainly regarding baby products) is fully safe and non-

> toxic. However, the average consumer is unaware of the potentially

> harmful chemicals often included in such products.

>

> " Most Americans would assume that basic toxicity testing is available

> and that all chemicals in commerce today are safe. A recent EPA study

> has found that this is not a prudent assumption. "

> (Chemical Hazard Data Availability Study. U.S. EPA Office of

> Pollution Prevention and Toxic Substances.

> www.epa.gov/oppt/chemtest/hazchem.htm)

>

> What About Fire Protection?

>

> When it comes to bedroom fires, a moment or two can mean the

> difference between life and death.

>

> " There is a window of opportunity for someone to escape, but it is

> very brief. We are talking seconds.

> Fire doubles itself every minute in a mattress fire. "

> ( " Mattresses: Deadly Fire Hazards. " CBS News. The Early Show.

> Interview with U.S. Deputy Fire Administrator

> Chief Charlie Dickinson. June 28, 2004.

> www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/06/28/earlyshow/living/home/main626380.sh

> tml)

>

> Thousands of innocent people are killed or severly injured from

> bedroom fires each year. Sadly, children comprise the majority of

> these casualties.

>

> " In 1995, CPSC [Consumer Product Safety Commission] conducted a field

> investigation study to learn more about cigarette-ignited fires and

> open flame fires. The report, issued in 1997, showed that about 70%

> of the open flame fires involved child play and that 68% of the open

> flame deaths were to children playing with lighters, matches, and

> other open flame sources. "

> (Consumer Product Safety Commission " Standard to Address Open Flame

> Ignition of Mattresses/Bedding; Advance Notice of Proposed

> Rulemaking. " 16CFR Part 1633. Federal Register/Vol. 66, No.

> 197/October 11, 2001, Pg. 51886)

>

> Sleeping on a petroleum based polyurethane foam mattress may rob you

> and your child of precious life differentiating moments. Untreated

> polyurethane foam is so flammable that it will literally explode into

> a ball of fire within seconds. Even more dangerous than the fire

> itself is the carbon monoxide and other deadly gases released by

> polyurethane foam as well as the associated significant reduction of

> available oxygen.

>

> " Hazardous decomposition products [from flexible polyurethane foam]

> include: carbon monoxide, acetaldehyde, acrylonitrile, 2,4-toluene di-

> isocyanate, polymer fragments, oxides of nitrogen, and hydrogen

> cyanide. Fire retardant foams may generate emissions of hydrogen

> chloride, hydrogen bromide, hydrogen flouride, or phosphoric acid... "

> ( " National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for

> Flexible Polyurethane Foam Production " U.S. EPA. Federal Register.

> October 7, 1998. Vol. 63. No. 194. www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-

> AIR/1998/October/Day-07/a25894.htm)

>

> " Thermal decomposition products from polyurethane foam consists

> mainly of carbon monoxide, benzene, toluene, oxides of nitrogen,

> hydrogen cyanide, acetaldehyde, acetone, propane... "

> (OSHA Hazard Information Bulletins. " The Fire Hazard of Polyurethane

> and Other Organic Foam Insulation Aboard Ships and In Construction. "

> U.S. Department of Labor. Occupational Safety & Health

> Administration. www.osha.gov/dts/hib/hib_data/hib19890510.html)

>

> While the above studies did not involve baby mattresses per se, it is

> nonetheless clear that polyurethane foam constitutes a widespread

> concern, especially in those products impacting babies and young

> children.

>

> In order to reduce the inherent fire hazard of polyurethane foam,

> harsh industrial fire retardants are typically added. However, this

> only trades one problem for another. These added toxic fire

> retardants pose their own health hazards, even while a baby is simply

> sleeping.

>

> The NaturePedic® Design

>

> G.E.M Testing & Engineering Labs, on behalf of NaturePedic, developed

> and designed the No-Compromise™ Baby Mattress to address the concerns

> of parents and doctors as presented in this report. The NaturePedic

> No-Compromise Baby Mattress has been designed in accordance with the

> following paramaters:

>

> o NATURAL MATERIALS: The No-Compromise Baby Mattress utilizes cotton,

> a natural material with favorable qualities and an extensive history

> in mattresses and similar products. In particular, cotton has low

> toxicity concerns. Cotton provides for good air circulation while

> maintaining more even humidity and balanced temperatures. It has the

> ideal density for firm yet comfortable bedding.

>

> o NON-TOXIC DESIGN: The design of the No-Compromise Baby Mattress

> strives to eliminate materials which may be toxic, hazardous, or

> otherwise potentially harmful, as is reasonably achievable.

>

> The following are specifically prohibited:

>

> o NO Phthalates

> o NO Vinyl (Polyvinyl Chloride or PVC)

> o NO Polyurethane Foam

> o NO dangerous Fire Retardant Chemicals (PBDE's, Antimony,

> Modacrylic, etc.)

> o NO Scrap or Pig Hair Fiber Pads

>

> o FIRE PROTECTION: The No-Compromise Baby Mattress is designed to

> meet and exceed Federal and State Flammability Standards, and exceed

> such standards by the highest possible margin reasonably achievable.

> Cotton naturally has a low rate of combustion and does not burst into

> flames when ignited as compared with polyurethane foam and PVC,

> eliminating the need for harsh industrial fire retardant chemicals.

> To maximize fire protection, FlameBreaker™, a non-toxic fire barrier

> system based on baking soda's unique fire retardant properties has

> been developed.

>

> o FIRM SUPPORT: The No-Compromise Baby Mattress uses extra firm high

> coil count orthopedic innersprings, providing the optimum

> pediatrician recommended firmness and comfort levels. The design also

> features heavy-duty border rods for extra side and edge support.

>

> More Information on NaturePedic No-Compromise Baby Mattress

>

> Credentials

>

> G.E.M. Testing & Engineering Labs has expertise in environmental

> assessments, materials & toxicology, and related specialties.

> Services are provided per EPA, ASTM and other professional protocols.

> G.E.M. Testing & Engineering Labs is licensed by the State of Ohio,

> and has been providing professional environmental engineering

> services since 1984.

>

> BARRY A. CIK, PE, CP, DEE, QEP, CHMM, REM*

> Chief Engineer, G.E.M. Testing & Engineering Labs, Cleveland, Ohio

>

> *PE - Registered Professional Engineer, State of Ohio

> CP - Certified Professional, State of Ohio EPA VAP

> DEE - Board Certified Environmental Engineer, American Academy of

> Environmental Engineers

> QEP - Qualified Environmental Professional, Institute of Professional

> Environmental Practice

> REM - Registered Environmental Manager, National Registry of

> Environmental Professionals

> CHMM - Certified Hazardous Materials Manager, Master Level, Institute

> Hazardous Mtrls Mgmt

>

> Credentials:

>

> Registered Professional Engineer - PE [#47615]

> State of Ohio Engineers Board of Registration

>

> Certified Professional - CP [#109]

> State of Ohio EPA VAP

>

> B.S. Civil Engineering, 1978, Ohio State University

> Concentration in Environmental and Engineering

> Surveys

>

> C.E. Civil Engineering Advanced Professional Degree

> 1981, Ohio State University

> Concentration in Environmental and Engineering

> Surveys & Construction Materials

>

> Board Certified Environmental Engineer [#98-20076]

> Diplomate Environmental Engineer - DEE

> American Academy of Environmental Engineers

>

> Qualified Environmental Professional QEP [#01960005]

> Institute of Professional Environmental Practice

>

> Certified Hazardous Materials Manager

> Master Level - CHMM [#10795]

> Institute of Hazardous Materials Management

>

> Registered Environmental Manager - REM [#05594]

> National Registry of Environmental Professionals

>

> Certified Diplomate Forensic Engineer [#681]

> National Academy of Forensic Engineers

>

> Note: The above credentials, licenses, and certifications are listed

> for identification purposes only. No implication is intended that

> these credentialing authorities or organizations endorse or approve

> the contents of this presentation.

>

> Affiliations (Past and/or Present):

>

> National Society of Professional Engineers

> American Society of Civil Engineers

> Amer. Society Photogrammetry Remote Sensing

> ASTM Standards Committees (Various)

> Academy of Certified Hazardous Materials Mangrs

> Air and Waste Management Association

> National Academy Forensic Engineers Sr. Member

> Association of Independent Scientific, Engineering

> & Testing Firms (ACIL)

> Professional Firms Practicing in the

> Geosciences (ASFE)

> Building Environment Council of Ohio

> Institute of Professional Environmental Practice

> Union of Concerned Scientists

> Environmental Health Watch

> Ohio Environmental Council

> Soil & Water Conservation Society

> The Nature Conservancy

> Environmental Defense

> Natural Resources Defense Council

> HEAL (Human Ecology Action League)

> American Bankers Association Service Member

> Ohio & Cleveland Mortgage Bankers Associations

> Association for Commercial Real Estate (NAIOP)

> International Association of Corporate Real Estate

> Executives (NACORE)

>

>

**********

" At that point, I had the right to remain silent... but I didn't have

the ability. " -Ron White

[Guest guest]

Ok. But what is the relative risk. Say a

traditional, poison laden mattress is a 10 (on a scale

of 1-10). What is a futon made with wool? Clearly

I'm not going to go out and buy her a new mattress.

And how does one get around the US flame retardent

requirement when buying your mattress?

________________________________________________________________________________\

____

Want to start your own business? Learn how on Small Business

(http://smallbusiness.)

[Guest guest]

I searched a couple of places that sold chemical-free

matresses, and they state that if you want yours

without the flame retardants, then you need a note

from your doctor saying your allergic to them.

It does sound a bit much. Sometimes you can just do

the best you can. I personally think whats more

important is what's being put INTO your child's body.

I'm sure the wool mattress is just fine.

--- Carren Panico <chlobot@...> wrote:

> Ok. But what is the relative risk. Say a

> traditional, poison laden mattress is a 10 (on a

> scale

> of 1-10). What is a futon made with wool? Clearly

> I'm not going to go out and buy her a new mattress.

>

> And how does one get around the US flame retardent

> requirement when buying your mattress?

>

>

>

>

________________________________________________________________________________\

____

> Want to start your own business? Learn how on

> Small Business

> (http://smallbusiness.)

>

>

________________________________________________________________________________\

____

Get your email and see which of your friends are online - Right on the New

.com

(http://www./preview)

[Guest guest]

Fire retardants are required by law, but you can provide a doctor's

prescription to get one without fire retardants. I know, it's nuts

that you need a doctor's note to protect your baby from poisons! Wool

is a natural fire retardant, so you don't need a doctor's

prescription for that. A healthy option is baking soda and

Naturepedic is the only mattress so far that uses it. It meets and

exceeds all Federal and State Flammability

Standards (including the stricter California TB603 and upcoming

Consumer Product Safety Commission standards), so you don't need a

doctor's note. This is why I opted to only have NaturePedic on my

website. At least for a crib mattress. It's fireproof without the

wool. If NaturePedic can't come up with the twin or adult mattresses

soon enough, I may try to find a cotton/wool for co-sleeping

families, but need to make sure I provide the information about the

wool, so people know the risks. I just wish they'd get these made now.

http://www.healthychild.com/natural-baby-crib-mattress.htm

Also, some manufacturer's say that borate powder is a healty option

but Dr. Sprott and Barry Cik don't agree. They say it can be toxic to

babies.

Jane

>

> Jane,

>

> I thought all mattresses sold in the U.S. were required to contain

fire

> retardants. So wool would be the only organic fire-retardant

option. Or

> what other (healthy) options are there? -Angie

>

[Guest guest]

Do you mean mattresses that use baking soda in them as fire

retardants?? I'm confused.

By the way, I am SO glad you are posting on this. You are a good

resource for asking questions I had long wondered.

Here's one for you: OK, baby mattresses are covered with yucky

plasticky stuff, but adult mattresses aren't. Theoretically, the

harmful gasses that cause SIDS are generated by a fungus that grows

because of baby fluids (urine, saliva, etc.) that get into the mattress

and interact with the toxic ingredients in the mattress. So, does it

protect your baby if you block the access of those fluids to the

mattress? Example: our son (7 mos) sleeps with us, but he sleeps on a

wool puddle pad that keeps saliva/milk/etc. from reaching our mattress.

I know it's wool, but it's not inside the mattress and can be washed to

get rid of fluids.

I'm wondering if what we're doing is safe enough or if we should try to

get some kind of mattress cover. Not sure what we'd get, though.

Thanks again for your help. -Angie

On Monday, October 30, 2006, at 02:35 PM, jmshep888 wrote:

> Fire retardants are required by law, but you can provide a doctor's

> prescription to get one without fire retardants. I know, it's nuts

> that you need a doctor's note to protect your baby from poisons! Wool

> is a natural fire retardant, so you don't need a doctor's

> prescription for that. A healthy option is baking soda and

> Naturepedic is the only mattress so far that uses it. It meets and

> exceeds all Federal and State Flammability

> Standards (including the stricter California TB603 and upcoming

> Consumer Product Safety Commission standards), so you don't need a

> doctor's note. This is why I opted to only have NaturePedic on my

> website. At least for a crib mattress. It's fireproof without the

> wool. If NaturePedic can't come up with the twin or adult mattresses

> soon enough, I may try to find a cotton/wool for co-sleeping

> families, but need to make sure I provide the information about the

> wool, so people know the risks. I just wish they'd get these made now.

>

> http://www.healthychild.com/natural-baby-crib-mattress.htm

>

> Also, some manufacturer's say that borate powder is a healty option

> but Dr. Sprott and Barry Cik don't agree. They say it can be toxic to

> babies.

>

> Jane

>