Are All Crib Mattresses Safe?

Are all crib mattresses safe? Short answer, NO!  Buying a mattress for your newborn or child is a big deal. A lot of crib and child mattresses that are sold in stores can trigger illnesses. Many infant mattresses contain poisons.

Take 5 minutes of your day & watch this video where I answer: “Are All Crib Mattresses Safe?”

I promise you it’s worth your time.  I cover what to look for when buying a mattress for your baby or child in just 5 minutes.

Baby & Crib Mattress Facts

• The average small child can spend up to 75% of their younger years sleeping which is why it’s so important to keep them in a safe, clean sleep environment. Especially considering that is a crucial time for brain development.

• Our baby’s skin, just like our skin is porous, and dangerous chemicals can be absorbed into their tiny bodies through their skin.

• It’s proven that children are more sensitive to chemical exposure.

Chemicals in Mattresses

• Today, one in six kids in the US have a developmental or learning disability. Some experts believe these issues may be due partly to early exposure to toxic chemicals in their environment.

• There are over 80,000 chemicals used and approved in the US. That includes the ones in crib mattresses.  And most of these chemicals have not been tested for their toxic effects. How scary is that?

• Flame retardants, formaldehyde, and benzene have been found in some mattresses. These are the same chemicals linked to cancer and developmental brain disorders.

• Studies have proven that babies are more easily exposed to high levels of chemical emissions from crib mattresses while they sleep. body heat increases these chemical emissions from the mattress. This “off-gassing” is strongest in a sleeping infant’s breathing zone.

• If your mattress is off-gassing harmful chemicals, your baby is breathing in those toxins for hours every night.

It’s important that we choose a crib mattress that is safe and clean for our babies and children. So, here’s a couple of things to keep in mind when looking to buy a mattress:

What To Look For in A Baby Mattress

• Stay away from memory foam, which is so common now in pillows and cribs. Memory foam can contain a family of chemicals called isocyanates (isos-io-nates) which can cause your baby to get sicknesses like asthma and bronchitis.

Vegan Mattresses and Good Health

• Stay away from animal-based mattresses (a.k.a. wool mattresses). Go vegan on your mattress!

• • Besides being a completely and horrifically unethical product, wool is soaked in dangerous chemicals including pesticides. Anything originating from an animal is going to be very toxic.

• • In order for the material not to disintegrate, get infested with bugs, or rot it must be soaked in chemicals.  It was once part of a living creature. Think of our own skin. When we get a scab, it flakes off since it’s dead skin. It’s the same w animal-based materials.

• • Going vegan in your mattress is surrounding your baby without any tragedy or despair, it’s good energy and healthy. As an intelligent person, which I know you are, you’re starting your new baby’s life with surroundings that are kind and thoughtful and there’s something to be said for that.

• Avoid latex mattresses for babies. Latex is a common allergy and it’s too early to identify if newborns might be allergic. However, for adults, if the mattress contains latex make sure it’s with natural latex and not synthetic.

• • Natural latex is made from the sap of rubber trees and doesn’t contain any chemicals. However, synthetic latex contains petroleum based compounds, very strong stuff and something you do not want to be near.

• When looking at a mattress, look at the casing also. Make sure its non animal based and chemical-free. Companies like to be slick. They’ll promote a chemical-free, vegan mattress and neglect the facts about the casing.

Mattress Certifications

• Look for certifications.  There are many, but I’m just going to mention three. It’s super important that the mattress you pick for your baby has at least one certification.

• • Look for the GOTS logo, that’s G-O-T-S, that stands for the global organic textile standard. GOTS Certification means the mattress is completely organic and it hasn’t been treated with toxic chemicals, it’s a very strict certification process.

• • Also, GOTS certified products have less negative impact on living creatures including your baby.

• Make sure the casing of the mattress is also GOTS Certified. That’s important too. You don’t want your baby inhaling poisons that can harm him or her physically and developmentally.

• Look for the OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certification. It shows that the materials are chemical, non-toxic and ethical. Materials made without chemicals are more ethical all around.

• One more certification I want to mention – the GREENGUARD Certification.

• • GREENGUARD-Certified products must meet stringent standards  for low chemical emissions into indoor air, like the off gassing I mentioned earlier.  Now, a gold level Greenguard means the product also meets the requirements for vulnerable populations, such as babies and children. There’s so many certifications. I could go on and on. But those are a few of the heavy hitters.

• Getting  a hand-me-down crib mattress can save money. This must be considered carefully though. Older mattresses might contain toxic substances, such as flame retardants, that are now banned.

In conclusion; are all crib mattresses safe? No. If you follow these guidelines though, shopping for a safe crib mattress will be a lot easier! Need help doing the shopping? Hire us for a 20 minute phone consultation or Virtual Design package! Learn more about our consulting services HERE!