Two companies, Natural Mat and Naturepedic (pictured above, left + right) provide the organic answer to the toxicity of conventional crib mattresses. In a nutshell conventional crib mattresses are downright nasty. They are generally composed of vinyl (polyvinyl chloride or PVC), phthalates, polyurethane foam, harsh chemical fire retardants, and other chemical additives. In doing a bit of googleing, you will find studies linking SIDS with the toxicity of the conventional crib mattress as well as the multitude of other health effects it has on our babies and children.
Below is a list, taken from Naturepedic, that clearly illustrates the insanity of conventional (non-organic) crib mattresses. Amazing + disgusting at the same time.
- Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), the surface material used in nearly all crib mattresses, is widely considered to be one of the most toxic and environmentally unfriendly plastics in use today.
- Phthalates, associated with asthma, reproductive effects, and cancer, make up 30% by weight of the PVC surface of a typical crib mattress. Phthalates are not bound to the plastic and leach out.
- The FDA and Consumer Product Safety Commission have issued general warnings regarding the use of phthalates, yet the PVC surfaces of crib mattresses still contain phthalates.
- DEHP (the most commonly used phthalate in crib mattresses), together with several other phthalates, have already been banned across Europe for use in many children’s products.
- The PVC surface of a typical crib mattress is also treated with toxic fire retardant chemicals such as antimony. Various biocides are often added as well.
- Polyurethane foam, the predominant filling material used in crib 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.
- 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 neurobehavioral alterations. PentaBDE is not bound to the foam, and leaches out into the surrounding air.
- 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 crib mattresses presently in use that contain pentaBDE.
- Other common materials found in crib mattresses include shoddy pads made from scraps swept off the floor of textile mills or “hair” pads made from pig hair.
- 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 crib mattress, it would be prudent to use materials that don’t contain such dangerous chemicals.
To continue reading the article on the 5 Major Problems With Conventional Mattresses, click here. To see the full selection of organic mattresses + accessories, click here. Image on left is an organic Natural Mat mattress, image on right is an organic Naturepedic mattress.