Eco-Friendly Nursery Basics

By Tracy Tullis for The Green Guide

In this article:
Cribs
Mattresses and Bedding
Other Furniture
Carpets
Flooring

Decorate your baby's room in an eco-friendly way! Purchasing green living products for your baby can have positive effects on your child's health.

Like many women, I discovered unknown maternal instincts when I stared for the first time at the ultrasound screen and the blurry shape of the tiny stowaway I was harboring suddenly swam into view. Those instincts inspired me to eat healthy food, take up yoga, avoid smoky rooms, and best of all—shop! Brand-new baby products called to me from catalogues and showrooms: cribs with colorful ruffled linens, charming tot-size furniture, and perfectly-proportioned bookshelves.

What many mothers don't realize, though, is that while most baby products are perfectly safe, some aren't. Permanent-press sheets are treated with formaldehyde—a known carcinogenic—and plywood furnishings can release potentially harmful petrochemical volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air.

Because babies are small and their immune, hormonal, and nervous systems are still developing, environmental pollutants affect them more than they might an adult. And if you're pregnant, it's wise to avoid sanding, painting, and applying finishes, because exposures to chemicals can harm your baby. Here are some guidelines for purchasing kinder, gentler products for your baby's first bedroom. (Links and contact numbers for many of the products mentioned appear at the end of this article).

Cribs

All new cribs must meet federal Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) guidelines. But these guidelines don't address materials such as composite woods made with formaldehyde, or paints or polyurethanes containing fungicides, and other additives that you really don't want a baby chewing on. You might consider a crib such as Pacific Rim Woodworking's, made from solid maple and either left unfinished or finished with pure, raw tung and linseed oils. The crib can be converted to a toddler bed.

Mattresses and Bedding

Most conventional mattresses are made from polyurethane foam, nylon, polyester, and vinyl—all derived from petroleum—and are treated with anti-microbial and fire-, wetness-, and stain-retarding chemicals, including polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). These chemicals can accumulate in breast milk and in fat, and have been shown to inhibit brain development in animals. As alternatives, consider crib mattresses made with organic cotton, wool padding, and natural rubber and free of chemicals.