Does Non-Organic Cotton in Crib Mattresses Contain Pesticide Residues?

Many parents have questions about cotton: Is cotton still okay, or if you use organic? The main differences are pesticides - organic cotton grown without pesticides; cotton is still planted with them. Is the residue from this pesticide still in the cotton clothes, sheets, blankets and other products you use for your baby? That's an important question if you're worried about your child's health, especially when it comes to swing mats.

According to the Organic Consumers Association, pesticides are associated with several diseases and conditions, including asthma, autism, learning disabilities, birth defects, reproductive dysfunction, diabetes, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's disease, and some types of cancer. In fact, the President's Cancer Panel - a group that meets annually to analyze and evaluate the current state of the National Cancer Program - recommends that we eat organic foods to prevent pesticide poisoning. Here's an excerpt from the latest Presidential Cancer Panel Report:

"Exposure to pesticides can be reduced by choosing, to the extent possible, foods grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers ... Similarly, exposure to antibiotics, growth hormones, and toxicity from livestock lotions can be reduced by consuming a variety of free foods meat without this medicine. "

But food is not the only exposure to pesticides. Like other chemicals, pesticide residues can also be air. And when that happens, in the air we breathe. This is not a problem with clothes because by the time cotton plants become cloth, pesticides are gone. However, the same thing is not true for hitting cotton, which is commonly used in cotton mattresses.

According to Debra Lynn Dadd, Green Queen and author of Home Safe Home: "Cotton batting contains pesticide residues, if not organic, as they are not processed as cotton, so it is very important to buy organic cotton padding, such as in mattresses or pillows. "

Ms. Dadd also noted that despite the lack of pesticide residues in inorganic cotton fabrics, there are other chemical problems that need to be noted: "The problem with cotton fabrics is packaging, such as regular newspaper finishing, which releases formaldehyde. Most fabrics have" size "is used, which is washed in the first wash. Wash 5 does a lot to remove the size, but no amount of washing removes the newspaper permanently. The blisters also don't matter if they are" colorfast, "that is, they don't bleed when you wash them."

Because batting is used regularly in mattresses, and infants spend 12 to 15 hours a day in their beds, it is important to select certified organic cradle mats - they are grown and processed without any harmful chemicals.

For jammies, sheets, blankets and other items, ordinary cotton may be fine. But pay attention to the colors, packaging, and size, as described by Ms. Dadd. Contact the manufacturer if it is unclear. And if it looks like the chemicals used may not be safe, go organic.

Does Non-Organic Cotton in Crib Mattresses Contain Pesticide Residues?


==========================