Massive paranoia about flame retardants in baby gear and hubby is angry! HELP!!

[Anonymous]

By the way I am the one who has written under anonymous a ton on this post and my website is Organic Baby University
http://www.organicbabyuniversity.com
It is a fee site now but we are going 100% free in a week or two so if you need more info or product info you can get it there...I have two online classes Organic Pregnancy and Organic Baby that cover everything from food to car seats, fire retardants, and more...I also have guides and checklists and safe product selections. Check us out and join us in a week or two and you can get more info if you like (:

[Anonymous]

One last thing -if you want to sign a petition to try to have these dangerous chemicals removed from our children's environment you can click here

http://www.momsrising.org/blog/tired-of-toxic-chemicals-weve-got-a-solution/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:so some sleeping blankets he slept in were fire retardants.

what?!??! blankets have flame retardants? What kind of blankets and how did you know?

[Anonymous]

I am not the one that wrote the blanket flame retardant comment but I will tell you there is a HUGE push to add FR to all bedding-blankets, pillows, everything!

[Anonymous]

I think that driving your baby in a car is more risky than exposure to these chemicals. Just something to keep in mind - do what you like to reduce risk, but part of being a parent is being able to see the forest through the days. Like, do you let your kid sit in a stroller treated with flame retardants, or do you put your baby in a homemade sling on an icy day? Isn't falling a risk? I am a huge worrier, and I have already realized that there is only so much I can do, and that the excessive worry makes me a worse parent. Less emotional energy left raising my daughter if I obsess over something. Just my two cents.

[Anonymous]

I agree over the worrying. This is taking action so you know you have done what you can so you don't have to worry as much. There are a lot of things you can't control and you can't worry yourself to death over it. But deciding to ignore harmful chemicals when there is a LOT of research showing how dangerous they are just because driving in a car is more dangerous doesn't make much sense either. I worried about these chemicals until I did everything I could to avoid them and then I have to be ok with it. I do advocate to have these chemicals removed from our products so we don't have to be exposed. I don't agree with the idea of sticking my head in the sand because I don't want to worry. My children pay a health cost for this as well. It can be hard to find a balance but it is important to... It is a lot easier to be concerned about car wrecks or falls because it is immediate impact and cause. These chemicals are much tougher to say "oh that caused it!" But when we have evidence that is is highly toxic and it bioaccumulated in our bodies (FR have a half-life of roughly 40 years) it is good to avoid them where you can....I know too many people my age that are getting cancers and other diseases which is not how it used to be...and I am only in my 30s

[Anonymous]

And as far as the sling vs the stroller, those aren't the only choices...you can put your child in a stroller with no FR...problem solved (: They do exist!

[Anonymous]

http://www.naturepedic.com/blog/2011/02/fire-retardants-linked-to-developmental-problems-in-children-study-says/

http://news.discovery.com/human/flame-retardants-infertility.html

http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jan2006/2006-01-04-01.html

http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jan2006/2006-01-04-01.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am not the one that wrote the blanket flame retardant comment but I will tell you there is a HUGE push to add FR to all bedding-blankets, pillows, everything!

How do you know if something has been treated with flame retardants so I can avoid them? Is there a special tag on the item?

[Anonymous]

9:21 here - my point is not that you should stick your head in the sand, but to keep please perspective - I say this as someone who worries a lot about different things, and has had to change my ways a bit to be a better parent. I guess my point is do what you can, and let it go.

And I do think that people who are as vocal as all of you are doing the community a service by educating others, and by contacting companies to let them know that you care. Just be sure that you're not so wrapped up in this that you spend more time worrying than enjoying your little ones

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think that driving your baby in a car is more risky than exposure to these chemicals. Just something to keep in mind - do what you like to reduce risk, but part of being a parent is being able to see the forest through the days. Like, do you let your kid sit in a stroller treated with flame retardants, or do you put your baby in a homemade sling on an icy day? Isn't falling a risk? I am a huge worrier, and I have already realized that there is only so much I can do, and that the excessive worry makes me a worse parent. Less emotional energy left raising my daughter if I obsess over something. Just my two cents.

I don't really see the comparison here. Most people would not walk on an icy day with a baby in a sling. Those things are CHOICES whereas chemicals in baby gear is insidious and we often don't know about it. Driving is a conscious decision one makes, knowing the risks. Flame retardants are forced on us and we don't know about them. I don't think you can compare these things.

[Anonymous]

what?!??! blankets have flame retardants? What kind of blankets and how did you know?

Yes, I was surprised to see that my son's Halo 100% cotton and also fleece sleeping blankets stated that they are fire retardant. He had one organic, but the tag has faded too much to say anything for sure, but it seems it's not fire retardant. I was going through his baby staff preparing for my daughter's upcoming arrival. What can I say, I wasn't thrilled about what I let my son sleep in... Now I'm shopping for organic sleeping blankets and hope those won't have fire retardants.

Again, anything that has a tag that says that the product "confirms to California flammability technical bulletin 117" is most likely been treated with fire retardants.

I went to some baby boutique today, to check tags on organic Ergo carrier (it didn't have any tag confirming with CAl law 117, so that's hopeful). A sales women, told that her friend's husband, who is a pediatrician, would not let in his house any rags or furniture with fire retardants, when they had kids 7 years ago. Already back than, this pediatrician was freaking out about what effect all these chemicals may have on his children. I wish I could convince my husband to change our old carpet on hardwood floors. Our carpet is more than 10 years old, so it mostly likely contains FRs that already has been banned. That's not a pleasant thought for me, but men can be extremely stubborn!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One last thing -if you want to sign a petition to try to have these dangerous chemicals removed from our children's environment you can click here

http://www.momsrising.org/blog/tired-of-toxic-chemicals-weve-got-a-solution/

Thanks a lot! I've signed the petition! Here is another link where moms can take action. Scroll down the window to read the letter and sign the petition for Consumer Choice Fire Safety Act, that urges to let consumers choose whether to buy FR furniture or not, instead requiring manufacturers to make everything fire retardant. It will take just a minute!

http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5393/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=6334

The more letters like that we sign, the more chances that legislatures will finally hear us and move in the right direction! Thank you!!!

[Anonymous]

Also many 100% organic clothes are treated with formaldehyde and other staff, since it prepares clothe to dyeing process and helps colors not to fade fast. So yep, the more you dig, the more in owe you feel.

Oh, here I meant "many 100% cotton clothes" are treated with formaldehyde before dyeing process. Perhaps, some organic clothes do too, but I'm not sure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

what?!??! blankets have flame retardants? What kind of blankets and how did you know?

Yes, I was surprised to see that my son's Halo 100% cotton and also fleece sleeping blankets stated that they are fire retardant. He had one organic, but the tag has faded too much to say anything for sure, but it seems it's not fire retardant. I was going through his baby staff preparing for my daughter's upcoming arrival. What can I say, I wasn't thrilled about what I let my son sleep in... Now I'm shopping for organic sleeping blankets and hope those won't have fire retardants.

Again, anything that has a tag that says that the product "confirms to California flammability technical bulletin 117" is most likely been treated with fire retardants.

I went to some baby boutique today, to check tags on organic Ergo carrier (it didn't have any tag confirming with CAl law 117, so that's hopeful). A sales women, told that her friend's husband, who is a pediatrician, would not let in his house any rags or furniture with fire retardants, when they had kids 7 years ago. Already back than, this pediatrician was freaking out about what effect all these chemicals may have on his children. I wish I could convince my husband to change our old carpet on hardwood floors. Our carpet is more than 10 years old, so it mostly likely contains FRs that already has been banned. That's not a pleasant thought for me, but men can be extremely stubborn!

I actually was reading a review of an organic Halo sleepsack (which I have) and the reviewer complained it was treated with a flame retardant. So i checked my sleep sack, but I did not see anything indicating it was treated. I called the company and they assured me it was NOT treated. The woman said "If it was treated with a FR, then it wouldn't be organic, would it?" So, I agreed and we got off the phone. Who knows?!?!?

My husband is also stubborn about the whole organic/Flame retardant thing. He thinks I overreact. We have a ton of hand me down toys, pack and plays, baby gear that I am sure is all treated. It was given to us as second hand, so we did not pay for it. But I am hesitant to use some of it b/c it has that tag saying it meet Cali law 117. My swing says that too, but when I called Fisher Price they assured me twice that it did not contain fire retardants.