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The Organic Mattress – Back to Basics
I have always been very conscious of health through diet and exercise, however, it wasn't until my son was born that I began to pay closer attention to the utensils we cooked and ate with, the materials our clothes were made from, how things were manufactured and the harmful chemicals that can be found on everything! And so, my research began. It started with items ranging from utensils to toys, basically anything my son would put into his mouth. It then took me on a path to his bedroom where I was startled to discover that the crib mattress he slept on was constantly emitting chemicals into the air! I felt it was time to dig deeper into this issue seeing how more than half of his day was spent sleeping.
The following will give you an overview of what I found these mattresses to contain and how they harm your child (and you). Also, it will hopefully provide you with why and how organic mattresses are better than the regular alternative. Like I have mentioned in previous articles, there is always a point to going overboard, and I don’t suggest you run out and replace all mattresses within your home. This would be very expensive. What I do suggest is start with an organic crib mattress for new baby or if your child will be moving to a big bed then look at purchasing an organic mattress for them. With this strategy you will be able to replace the beds in your home over time.
What’s wrong with my regular foam mattress?
The average mattress consists of petroleum-based foam covered in petroleum-based polyester fabric. Over the 10 year life of a foam mattress it will emit formaldehyde and carcinogens due to the breakdown of the petroleum laced foam and the fire retardant chemicals that the bed is saturated with. These toxic chemicals are ‘off gassed’ into the air and inhaled by our children. This breakdown continues through the life of the mattress, therefore even older mattresses are still off gassing.
The Chemicals that the foam is soaked in (PDBEs and Boric Acid) are used to slow the spread of fire should one happen. The use of these chemicals is the cheapest way for manufactures to reach fire safety levels outlined by Government bodies. Europe has already banned these chemicals. The Environmental Protection Agency and Centers for Disease Control warn of reproductive, developmental and neurological damage when exposed to such chemicals. As well, an article in the globe and mail (MAY 2006) discusses research linking exposure from toxic chemicals being emitted from crib mattresses to SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome).
What are the benefits to Organic Mattresses?
Organic mattresses are made up of inner springs or rubber and do not contain petroleum-based foam or the chemicals used for fire prevention. Therefore, ‘off gassing’ is not a concern.
Organic Inner Spring Mattress – This mattress contains metal springs covered with organic cotton and wool. The outer layer is also organic cotton. Wool not only acts as a natural fire retardant but also is used to repel dust mites.
Rubber Mattress - this mattress consists of rubber wrapped in wool and is encased in organic cotton fabric. Because their composition is mostly rubber it is naturally resistant to moisture buildup, is a natural antibacterial and hypoallergenic material, and will be as close as you can get to mold and dust mite free.
I hope this information has helped you come to a decision regarding a crib mattress for your child. The prices of these mattresses range from 1.5x-2x that of the regular foam mattresses due to the increased cost in materials used to produce this safer mattress. Overtime, I believe prices will come down as production increases and manufacturers are able to reduce their costs through economies of scale.
TO SEE OUR MATTRESS COLLECTION CLICK HERE
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