Organic Crib Mattresses - The Non-Toxic Alternative

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Bans
Phthalates Found in Crib Mattresses and Baby Bedding
By Barry A. Cik

As of February 10, 2009, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA)
bans the manufacture of child care articles and toys containing phthalates
(pronounced "thalates"). Phthalates are harmful plasticizer chemicals commonly
found in crib mattresses and mattress pads.

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Nearly all crib mattresses manufactured in the last several decades have a vinyl waterproof cover. Babies wet and spit up, and their mattresses are especially vulnerable to dampness. With too much moisture in a mattress, it can become an unhealthy haven for bacteria, mold and mildew.

It is in this vinyl waterproof covering that phthalates are found. Vinyl is a plasticized form of PVC.
By itself, PVC is toxic enough; it's widely considered to be one of the most environmentally unfriendly plastics in use today. However, PVC is a hard plastic, made soft and pliable for the surface of a crib mattress by adding hazardous plasticizers called phthalates. Vinyl, and hence phthalates, have also been used as the waterproof membrane in most crib mattress pads.

As of Feb. 10, 2009, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) has banned three
varieties of phthalates (DEHP, DBP, and BBP) for use in baby and children's mattresses and other baby products. The other three phthalates in the CPSC ban (DINP, DIDP, and DnOP) are only illegal for teethers and other objects expected to be placed into a child's mouth, so they still may be present in vinyl crib mattresses. Another phthalate chemical known to cause cancer (DnHP) has not yet been banned at all.

What's The Problem With Phthlates?
Phthalate chemicals leach out of vinyl over time where they can reach your baby or child. Research has linked phthalates with endocrine system problems, especially in boys. In 1997, a study published in the International Journal of Cancer found a high risk of testicular cancer associated with exposure to PVC products. Other research has also linked phthalates with cancer to the testes and to liver problems and other types of cancer. Numerous U.S. government agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, The U.S. Department of Health, the FDA and the Consumer Product Safety Commission have issued public safety statements concerning the use of phthalates.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has also reported about unsafe exposure to phthalates.
In a study, the AAP noted that phthalate chemicals were animal carcinogens and can cause fetal death, malformations and problems with the endocrine system. The AAP went on to say that the adverse risk
to children was greater due to the fact that their bodies and organ systems were still developing.

What Are Phthalates Being Replaced With?
Since phthalates can no longer be used to "plasticize" or soften PVC products intended for babies and children, other plasticizer substitutes are now being used. Are these substitutes any better? Only after years of additional research can this be determined. A more prudent course would be to follow the precautionary principle and remove them entirely. The public is not well served if industry replaces
one harmful chemical for another, even if the other is not yet technically banned.

The only reliable approach is to use materials whose safety has been demonstrated and, in all likelihood, will never be banned (e.g. organic cotton and food-grade polyethylene) and to perform regular testing to ensure that no harmful chemicals are contained in the product. In other words, it's best to follow the precautionary principle. Selecting products that have been tested and verified by independent, third-party certification programs (specifically for off-gassing and chemical emmissions) will go a long way in ensuring that the product will not harm your baby.

In addition to phthalates, questionable chemicals still remain in crib mattresses with more bans likely to follow. It is important to buy a crib mattress from a company you trust, a company that goes above and beyond minimum government requirements.