The choice to go organic
Is choosing organic mattresses influenced by our understanding that kids need a safe bed environment or is it because of the countless marketing and promos we see everyday?
The Oregon Environmental Council says when buying mattresses, organic may be the better choice, especially if you live in Oregon.
Many conventional mattresses contain Deca-PBDE, a toxic flame retardant, said Sara Leverette, an environmental health specialist with the Oregon Environmental Council. Last year, the substance was banned in Washington, Maine and Minnesota. So far, about a half-dozen states, including California, have outlawed Deca-PBDE, Leverette said.
Leverette said the environmental council pushed for a ban of the substance about five years ago but that effort failed.
She said the toxin, commonly used in furniture, builds up in the human body over time. About six years ago, a study found nursing women in the Pacific Northwest had high levels of the chemical in their breast milk.
But Dr. Joseph Gilhooly, a pediatrician and professor at OHSU, says there’s no research to back up claims that organic mattresses - or clothes, for that matter - are healthier choices.
He said researchers have found no toxic effect from mattresses on babies. Gilhooly, a SIDS expert, said anecdotal suggestions linking mattresses to Sudden Infant Death Syndrom turned out to be unfounded.
As for clothing, he said parents can feel safe buying onesies made from conventionally grown cotton.
“I am sure it’s more of a marketing issue,” he said.
Via Oregon Live
Tags: babies, buying mattress, conventional mattress, conventional mattresses, environmental health specialist, flame retardant, furniture, mattress, mattresses, oregon environmental council, organic-mattresses, washington maine
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