Ecofriendly Wooden Cots The Way They Should Be Made

Just like the rest of our furniture these days, cots are no exception, and are often  created using compressed wood with only a wood finish, or bases that are plastic or spring based. Often finished with glazed plastic finishes, toxic varnishes or paints and plastic teething covers, its no surprise that babies life starts tough with chemical exposure right from the onset. Loaded with formaldehyde and VOC’s, babies are exposed from day one, with immunity and brain development being the first thing that can be compromised.

Add to the baby cot, often pvc covered or fire retardant covered baby mattresses and you can understand why babies are so at risk. They lie all day in bed with their face straight on the mattress.

buyOrganics is proud to add to our exceptional line of pure organic baby mattresses, our Organic Wooden Jacob Cot. Made with growth in mind, our lovely FSC certified solid spruce Jacob cot can turn from a cot into a cot bed and eventually a little mini bed. The base is also made of slatted real wood, providing the perfect level of support to your organic baby mattress. Completely ergonomically designed for growing babies. Hand made in Germany, the cot can be left plain unfinished or varnished with eco friendly non toxic Auro wood stains for a beautiful cot that is luxurious, stylish, and 100% safe for baby and the environment.

Why 'Cry It Out' Sleep Training Harms Baby

Organic cot mattress shoppers may be interested to know why letting their baby cry it out and fall asleep themselves may not be the best thing for them. I remember when my youngest was a baby, I was told by a very well-known baby sleep book that I was too soft and that I should let her cry herself to sleep in her cot to get her used to it. Well after an hour of complete inconsolable wailing, her in her cot and me in the next room crying myself, I gave up and never let her cry like that again. An article I read today nearly 7 years later explains that I may have killed a few of her brain cells in the process of trying to get her to accept sleeping in her own cot! According to Darcia Narvaez, an associate professor of psychology at Notre Dame, when babies are stressed, their bodies release cortisol into their systems -- a toxic hormone that kills brain cells. Babies brains are only 25% developed at this young age, so its not exactly giving them a great start and instead results in a higher probability of them developing ADHD, poor academic performance and anti-social tendencies, because human babies are hardwired for hands-on comfort and care. For the full article see http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/moral-landscapes/201112/dangers-crying-it-out

Are There Flame Retardants in Your Sandwiches?

Organic mattress shoppers will be interested to know the latest news by the Huffington Post that has highlighted a study finding flame retardant chemicals in consumer’s sandwiches in the USA. The idea of toxic chemicals in your lunchtime sandwiches is quite a scary one, the new study of testing popular products from grocery stores in Dallas, Texas, found that nearly half of the sampled peanut butter and cold cuts, as well as turkey, fish, beef and other fatty foods, contained traces of a flame retardant commonly used in the foam insulation of building walls. "This is not good news. Here's yet another toxic chemical that can be found in many of the foods we buy at our supermarkets," said Dr. Arnold Schecter of the University of Texas School of Public Health and an author of the study published on Thursday. "Food does not need to have flame retardants." The flame retardant found by Schecter's team was hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), which is just the latest in a string of manmade chemicals that researchers are discovering in popular foods. Previous research has turned up DDT, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), mercury, dioxins and other flame retardants. And this is in addition to the chemicals purposefully added to products during processing, or that leach into food from packaging. These chemicals pose health concerns that range from diabetes to cancer. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, HBCD is "highly toxic" to marine life and may disrupt the proper function of human hormones and reproduction. Particularly worrying are the chemical's potentially damaging effects to a young child, even in the foetal stage of development. Sonya Lunder, a senior analyst with the Environmental Working Group (EWG), noted that the chemical has been discovered in umbilical cord blood. "The prenatal period is an incredibly sensitive time," she said, adding that breastfeeding and toddlers' penchant for putting their hands (and other objects) in their mouths is likely to add to a body's early burden of the chemical. "Exposure starts before birth and may continue on in the diet for their entire life." These are the flame retardants that are pumped into conventional mattresses, sofa’s, car seats, carpeting, and building materials all around us. The worst offending piece of furniture is our mattress as we sleep on it for half our lives. Investment in an organic mattress is an investment in your health. P.s : Make your sandwiches at home!! EWG article: http://www.ewg.org/news/huff-post-flame-retardants-your-sandwich Huffington post article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/31/fire-retardants-food-peanut-butter-meat_n_1559062.html?ref=green

7 Things to Keep Away From Toddlers

Organic Baby Mattress shoppers maybe interested to know that some common place household items that we take for granted other than the obvious things can also pose a threat to our little ones. With toddlers loving to play with anything other than toys, it is important to consider that items such as latex balloons, batteries, magnets and tin foil maybe harmful to them. Read the whole article hear http://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/7-unexpected-items-keep-away-toddler-220700498.html

The Organic Baby Mattress Guide to Sleep Safety

As well as buying an organic baby mattress and organic baby bedding, there are other key steps in ensure your baby sleeps safely. Here are some useful guidelines, based on reducing the risk of cot death, or SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome). 1.Put your baby on his back to sleep 2.Place your baby in the cot in a 'feet to foot' position so there's less chance of her slipping down beneath the bedding 3.Do not smoke in the same room as your baby 4.Do not use a duvet, quilt or pillow even if it’s organic until your baby is over one year old, best to use organic sheets and an organic baby blanket in the mean time 5.Keep baby's head uncovered indoors (or whenever you go into warm places) 6.If baby is unwell, seek medical advice straight away 7.Keep your baby in the same room as you for the first six months. 8.If baby shares your bed, ensure her safe by not letting her get too hot. It's very important you don't let your baby's head get covered by the duvet, covers or pillow. 9.Avoid medication that makes you sleepy, or if you've been drinking a lot, don't bring your baby into your bed. 10.If you sleep with Baby in your bed, remember to use a bed guard as your bed isn't made for your baby and she could fall out. Make sure there are no sharp corners or hard edges where she could hurt herself. 11.Don't fall asleep with her on a sofa, as this has been shown to be risky. It's possible to roll on to your baby this way, or for her to get trapped between your body and the side or back of the sofa or its cushions.

Why its Good to Raise Your Children on a Farm

Organic Baby Mattress fans will be interested to know that researchers have found that it’s best to raise children on a farm if you want them to have a strong immune system. Immunological diseases, such as eczema and asthma, are on the increase in westernised society and represent a major challenge for 21st century medicine.

Dr Marie Lewis, Research Associate in Infection and Immunity at the School of Veterinary Sciences, who led the research, said: "Many large-scale epidemiological studies have suggested that growing up on a farm is linked to a reduced likelihood of developing allergic disease. However, until now, it has not been possible to demonstrate direct cause and effect: does the farm environment actively protect against allergies, or are allergy-prone families unlikely to live on farms?" The study found an increase in the number of regulatory T-lymphocytes, the cells that damp down the immune system and limit immune responses in a group of piglets raised since birth on a farm compared to those raised in isolated hygienic conditions. Goes to show that our western obsession with over cleanliness can be worse for our children than letting them be exposed to nature a bit more. Miessence sell a fabulous house cleaning fluid made of natures probiotics, which simply increase healthy bacteria in the environment rather than killing all bacteria. A much healthier way to live, in buyOrganics opinion!!!