Baby Toys: Babies are well known for sticking toys and anything they can into their mouth, therefore it's advised that you remove toxic toys and items from your baby's surrounding.
Avoid toys that are made of polyvinyl-chloride (also known as vinyl or PVC). Soft plastic toys like bath toys, squeeze toys, and dolls commonly contain Dyes, plastics, glues (known to leach out hormone disrupting chemicals). Dust and
dust mites is a common allergens. To prevent dust and dust mites limit your use of stuffed or plush toys, frill toys or store toys in a closed cabin box.
Check Consumer Product Safety Commission for hazard toys that has been recalled.
Solution: Buy an organic plain wooden toys without paint or chemical treatment, cloth and safe plush toys.
Clean cotton stuff dolls by either soaking it in mild warm water with a mild organic soap or stick it into the dryer for 30mins on high heat (check the type of material before doing this)
Baby bottles and sippers
Some containers/bottles products made of polycarbonate plastic, can leach bisphenol-A, a chemical that mimics estrogen. Avoid clear, hard plastic bottles marked with a 7 or “PC.”
Avoid using plastic liners- Soft plastic liners may leach toxins into formula and breast milk, particularly when heated.
Solution: use bottles made of tempered glass, polypropylene plastic, or polyethylene plastic.
Alternative option: Evenflo glass or pastel bottles, Gerber opaque bottles, or Medela bottles.
Sippy cups
Use sippy cups made of polypropylene or polyethylene.
Alternative option: Avent Magic Cup, First Years Take & Toss, Gerber Color Change, and Playtex Sipster
Nipples, pacifiers, and teether
Avoid nibbles, pacifier and teether made of PVC(polyvinyl chloride) or Latex rubber because it can leach carcinogenic nitrosamines into your baby's body. Latex rubber breaks down faster compared to silicone thereby making it easier for bacteria to harbor in the cracks. note: Rubber is yellow in color.
Alternative option: Buy an organic fabric teether or nontoxic BPA free teether. Use silicone nipples and pacifiers(silicone is clear)
Diapers:
"According to a study conducted by Anderson Laboratories in 1999 disposable diapers were found to release volatile organic chemicals (VOCs), including toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene and dipentene. Long-term exposure or inhaling high levels of these chemical has been linked to cancer and Neuron (brain) damage.
The researchers also discovered that mice exposed to the chemicals released by disposable diapers were more likely to experience irritated airways than mice exposed to emissions from cloth diapers. These effects were increased during repeat exposures".Disposable diapers may cause "asthma-like" reactions and trigger abnormal sneezing response when inhaled.
Conventional baby diapers contain harmful ingredients like dye, fragrance, plastic, toluene, xylene, ethylbenzene, dipentene. Disposable diapers consist of a plastic exterior, an inner super-absorbent layer treated with chemicals, and a liner. Sodium polyacrylate is a common absorbent chemical found in diaper. sodium polyacrylate can trigger allergic reactions. Disposable diapers may also contain dyes and dioxin; (Dioxin is a known carcinogenic by-product of the chlorine bleaching process).
Alternative option: Buy organic Diapers(free of toxic chemicals)
Seventh Generation - Disposable unbleached diapers & Chlorine-free Diapers
You can also use cotton flannel for diapers. Cotton flannel are safe and can be washed and sterilized like you would do to baby clothing. These are common and have been used on babies for a longtime. Cotton flannel comes in square and rectangular shape or you can cut your own patterns.
Diapers and diaper rashes: I have siblings whom i babysit and as i spent more time caring for them i discovered diaper rashes on their bums; it appears to be a very common problem with most babies and it's usually no cause for alarm however, i would advise you do the following to help prevent more rashes from occurring.
- Make sure to check and change your baby's diapers regularly to avoid a situation whereby your baby sits in soiled diapers for a long time, this can help reduce skin sores and rashes.
- Air dry the bum by simply leaving your baby without diapers whenever you are at your home.
- Powder the bum with cornstarch, arrowroot or rice flour
- Apply pure olive oil, almond oil or Castor oil on baby's butt
- Make sure the bed where your baby lays is clean and free of irritant chemicals/scent
If you try these things and the rashes continue to reappear please consult a pediatric doctor because in some cases rashes it could mean a sign of hidden food allergies, hidden reactions to irritant chemicals you may be unaware of.
Lotion/diaper ointment may contain harmful ingredients such as PEG, TEA, DMDM hydantoin, quaternium-15, parabens, lanolin (unless organic), 1,4-dioxane, fragrance, coal tar colours, ammonia, propylene glycol, mineral oil, sodium lauryl sulfate.
Toxic ingredients and their harmful effects
your baby's skin absorbs what you put on it
Solution: Avoid using scented lotion, powder on baby skin and items, if you must use a scent- i would advise you choose a very mild natural organic option such like lavender, orange, lemongrass.
Alternative option: Use a mild oil or combination of pure organic oils like almond oil, olive oil, safflower oil, apricot kernel oil, grape seed oil, coconut oil, Jojoba oil, wheat germ or vitamin E oil.
POWDER
Most Powder contain toxic ingredients like talc, perfume, dye. Use any powder with caution. It can become airborne irritant to your baby's respiratory tract and can be toxic enough to cause death in newborns. Talc is a naturally occurring mineral but when inhaled it could turn carcinogenic. Talcum powder is known to cause coughing, vomiting, and even pneumonia.
Alternative option: Use rice starch, cornstarch or arrowroot powder.
SOAP:
Some soaps contain toxic ingredients such as fragrance, dye, mineral oil, antibacterial chemicals, ammonia, formaldehyde, glycols, phenol, BHA/BHT. Organic natural soap is made from vegetable fat, and does not contain lye (lye is an alkali). Natural moisture organic soap will not clog pores, irritate or dry skin. Avoid Bubble baths because bubble baths usually contain irritants and should not be used on babies. Baby skin contains natural oils, washing too frequently can remove these oils, causing skin to be dry and irritated. It's
recommended that you use mild warm water and mild soap to bath a baby only once or twice a week, and cleaning dirty body parts like bums, faces and hands as needed. You can try using Johnson's new improved head to toe baby wash soap, i use it myself and i find that it is moisturizing and doesn't make baby eye tear like the other soaps do.
Baby wipes:
Most baby wipes contain harmful ingredients like perfume, chlorine, dioxin, alcohol.
Alternative option: keep a spray bottle of homemade lavender, aloe, vinegar water mixture near your change table and washable cotton cloth or tissue.
You can buy organic wipes, free of irritant and harmful chemicals to use when you're in the public or on a trip with your baby, i would also bring along a reusable trash bag to put soiled baby stuff.
Seventh Generation - Baby Wipes (non-chlorine bleached, unscented, alcohol-free)
Baby Earth organic products - Baby Earth
Shampoos:
Most shampoos you find at the stores are known to contain harsh detergents, chemical fragrances and numerous irritating and carcinogenic compounds. Sodium lauryl sulfate/sodium laureth sulfate is a common chemical found in shampoo and conditioners, SLS is an irritant that can form carcinogenic nitrosamines, DEA, TEA, and MEA which are hormone disruptors. Also shampoos contain quaternium-15, DMDM hydratoin which can release carcinogenic nitrosamines. Other harmful ingredients found in shampoos include:
polyethylene glycol and EDTA- irritant
coal tar- a known carcinogen.
propylene glycol- a neurotoxin which can cause dermatitis, liver and kidney damage.
Alternative option for shampoo: Tear free shampoos do not sting the eye and they are made to match the PH level of a baby’s tears, therefore causing less irritation to the eye, skin and scalp.
Use a less toxic shampoo with a neutral pH.
Make sure it's not in direct contact with your babies eyes and mouth.
Anti-bacterial Baby products: Most anti-bacterial soaps contain two common chemicals called triclosan and chloroxylenol (PCMX). Triclosan and chloroxylenol is an immunotoxin and organ/skin toxicant. Triclosan is a derivative of the herbicide 2,4-D. It creates dioxin as a by product, a known carcinogen. With all this known many manufacturer continue to use advert that play on our fear of dirt/germs to manipulate parents to think anti-bacterial, anti-microbial or disinfectant cleaners, sprays will help protect your family against colds and flus. This is far from the truth, not unless you're using a toxic free anti-viral cleaner even still at this, it will not kill all viruses. Anti-bacterial soaps are not safe or necessary for children, - WHY? because antibacterial soaps kill beneficial bacteria and also contribute to the creation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Not all bacteria will be killed by an anti-bacterial soap. The surviving bacteria are resistant to antibiotics and go on to produce a new generation of resistant bacteria which makes them harder to kill, an example of a bacteria that's likely to do this is strep, staph and e-coli. Some bacteria are healthy and could help your baby's immune system develop better or make your baby much resistant to them. Most anti-bacterial soap can cause dryness and irritation to the skin.
The simplest and most effective thing people can do to reduce the spread of infectious disease is to practice proper hand washing (wash hands with
toxic free soap and warm water for 15seconds). Wash your hand after using the bathroom and before preparing or eating food.
A mixture of baking soda, sea salt, pure lavender and vinegar can be used to soak and wash your new baby items and clothing before use to remove excess dyes and irritant chemical residues. Make sure you rinse well, just because it's organic natural doesn't mean you avoid through rinsing.
Oh yes, last but not least-
TOXIC DAYCARE: Having worked in a daycare i realized that some of the problems some kids have, comes from poor toxic diet and abusive caregivers. Mums where and whom you leave your baby to is important; they learn, eat and spend their time away from you without your supervision. Don't think for a second that a perfect daycare exist, and not all daycare inform you of everything the caregiver does with your child. I recommend you do your very best to spend more time with your child and monitor their behavior when they return from daycare/caregiver. This is not a scar warning, it's truth from an experienced daycare caregiver.
WOODEN TOXIN FREE BABY BOTTLE
For more info: check Americanbaby.com
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