Many parents have questions about cotton: Is regular cotton okay or should I use organic? The main difference is pesticides: organic cotton is grown without pesticides; regular cotton is grown with them. Are there still residues of these pesticides on the cotton clothes, sheets, blankets and other products that you are using for your baby? That’s an important question if you are concerned about your child’s health, especially when it comes to crib mattresses.
According to the Organic Consumers Association, pesticides have been linked to various diseases and conditions, including asthma, autism, learning disabilities, birth defects, reproductive dysfunction, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and various types of cancer. In fact, the President’s Cancer Panel, a group that meets every year to review and assess the current status of the National Cancer Program, recommends that we eat organic food to avoid pesticide poisoning. Here’s a quote from the latest President’s Cancer Panel Report:
“Exposure to pesticides can be reduced by choosing, where possible, food grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers … Similarly, exposure to antibiotics, growth hormones and toxic runoff from batches of Cattle feed can be minimized by eating free range meat raised without these drugs. “
But food is not our only exposure to pesticides. As with other chemicals, pesticide residues can also be transmitted through the air. And when it does, it’s in the air our babies breathe. This is not a problem with clothing because when those cotton crops are turned into cloth, the pesticides are gone. However, the same is not the case with cotton wadding, which is usually used in cotton mattresses.
According to Debra Lynn Dadd, Queen of Green and author of Home Safe Home: “Cotton wadding contains pesticide residues, if not organic, it is not as processed as cotton fabric. Therefore, it is imperative to buy wadding. organic cotton, as in a mattress or pillow. “
Ms. Dadd also points out that despite the lack of pesticide residues on non-organic cotton fabrics, there are other chemical issues to worry about: “The problem with cotton fabrics is the finishes, like a cotton finish. permanent press, which releases formaldehyde. Most fabrics of any type have a “prime” applied, which washes off in the first wash. Five washes is enough to remove the sizing, but no amount of washing eliminates the permanent press. Dyes are also not a concern if they are “colorfast,” that is, they don’t bleed when you wash them. “
Since cotton wadding is commonly used in mattresses and babies spend 12-15 hours a day in their crib, choosing a certified organic crib mattress is especially important – the cotton was grown and processed without potentially dangerous chemicals .
As for your baby’s pajamas, sheets, blankets, and other treats, regular cotton is probably fine. But find out about the tints, finishes, and size, as Ms. Dadd explains. Call the manufacturer if it is not clear. And if it seems like the chemicals used might not be safe, go organic.
