Safe Co-Sleeping on a Non-Toxic Mattress
Co-sleeping is safe and healthy when parents follow safe co-sleeping guidelines and co-sleep on a non-toxic, natural mattress.
Developmental and anthropological studies suggest that for breastfeeding and nurturing throughout the night, both mothers and babies were designed biologically and psychologically to sleep next to each other. Babies were not meant to sleep alone in a room separate from their mothers.
Babies have been sleeping with their mothers safely since the beginning of time. SIDS did not rear its ugly face until the 1950's, after they began adding fire retardants and other toxic chemicals to mattresses and after they began increasing the vaccines required for babies.
The benefits of co-sleeping are enormous as co-sleeping positively affects a baby's emotional and physical health. When safe co-sleeping guidelines are followed, SIDS rates for co-sleeping infants are actually lower than for crib-sleeping infants. Breastfeeding is known to reduce the risk of SIDS, and co-sleeping definitely allows for more frequent breastfeeding.
Some doctors and researchers believe that during co-sleeping, the physiological regulation of the baby's breathing and heartbeat with the mother's makes co-sleeping safer regarding SIDS. Mothers who sleep directly next to their babies can sense the proximity of their babies in order to avoid smothering them. The sleep studies done in the laboratory of James J. McKenna, Ph.D. of cosleeping/bed-sharing mother and infant pairs (2 to 4 month olds) reveal that both breastfeeding mothers and their infants are extremely sensitive throughout the night - across all sleep stages - to the movements and physical condition of the other. Mothers who sleep with their babies can readily respond to changes in the baby's status - such as if it were choking or struggling to breathe.
If you co-sleep, make sure you create a safe sleeping space for your baby - Safe Co-Sleeping Guidelines
There are many benefits to co-sleeping. View the following articles for more information:
Does Co-Sleeping Lead to SIDS?
The Benefits of Co-Sleeping
The Family Bed Defended
Ten Reasons to Sleep Next to Your Child at Night
Typical Adult Mattresses are Toxic to Babies
Adult mattresses contain toxic properties similar to crib mattresses. Typical adult mattresses contain dangerous chemicals and toxic gases that are not healthy for anyone, but particularly not safe for babies. They contain petroleum based chemicals, toxic foams, synthetic fabrics, and are treated with chemical fire retardants and formaldehyde. Both children and adults can become ill by repeated and continuous exposure to the low level of chemicals continuously emitted while sleeping. Babies are particularly vulnerable to these chemicals, and there is research that suggests that the toxic gases emitted from mattresses can be a cause of crib death or SIDS (see article on toxic gases and SIDS).
With the exception of the vinyl (PVC) covering that is used mainly in crib mattresses, adult mattresses basicallty have the same toxicity issues as crib mattresses read more...
Organic Cotton is a Safe, Non-Toxic Mattress and Bedding Material
100% organic cotton is the safest, most non-toxic mattress material available. Cotton is also firm and breathable and provides a comfortable sleeping surface.
There are two issues when considering an organic cotton mattress. First, you will need something to protect the mattress from the baby's or child's fluids and night-time "accidents." The typical vinyl (PVC) or polyester laminate waterproof mattress pads are toxic and can contain phthalates, so you will want to avoid these.
Second, pure organic cotton, by itself, is not fire-proof. If a mattress is not fire-proof, federal law requires that it cannot be sold without a doctor's prescription.
Naturepedic now makes a quilted organic cotton mattress in a queen-size. This is an excellent mattress for co-sleeping that is fire-proof and GreenGuard certified to not off-gas. It is completely safe and non-toxic, in addition to being very comfortable. A wool moisture/puddle pad or an organic cotton waterproof pad are recommended to protect the mattress from wetness. This mattress is, unfortunately, not yet available in a king-size.
RoyalPedic makes an excellent organic cotton queen or king-size mattress. This mattress has no fire-proofing and does require a doctor's prescription before it can be sold. If a doctor's prescription is too difficult to obtain, this mattress is also available with a wool wrap that makes it fire-proof. A wool moisture/puddle pad or an organic cotton waterproof pad are recommended to protect the mattress from wetness.
White Lotus has high-quality, hand-crafted cotton futon mattresses available as a less expensive, non-toxic option. These will also require waterproof protection as above.
Wool is a Natural Fire Retardant, Regulates Body Temperature, and Handles Moisture
Wool is a natural fire retardant so in most cases, a doctor's prescription is not needed when wool is added to the cotton. Wool also does a great job of regulating body temperature. The human body naturally releases quite a bit of moisture while sleeping and wool handles moisture better than any other fiber without losing its insulating properties. It will wick away moisture and will not cause the body to overheat. It does not completely waterproof a mattress, but it has the ability to dry quickly when damp.
Wool puddle pads work very well in dealing with moisture. Wool puddle pads are water-resistant - not waterproof. In most cases, a puddle pad will resist leakage, but wet puddle pads should be removed as quickly as possible to ensure maximum protection for the mattress. A wool puddle pad with an absorbent cotton pad over it will provide excellent moisture protection of the mattress.
Having a baby in your bed greatly increases the need to reduce the wetness since urine and all the fluids associated with a baby can easily create bacteria and mold and ruin the mattress, not to mention make it uncomfortable and unhealthy. Wool puddle pads are excellent for protecting a mattress from baby fluids, children's accidents and spills.
Many organic cotton mattresses also contain wool as a fire retardant. This seems like the perfect answer, but we need to provide a note of caution here. Even though wool is a natural material, wool naturally contains phosphorus and may also contain antimony and arsenic. A fungus that commonly grows in bedding can interact with these substances to create poisonous gases (see article, Has the Cause of Crib Death Been Found?). So even though wool is natural, it may not be completely non-toxic. It really depends upon the wool - where and how the sheep are raised and how the wool is cleaned and processed.
The amount of phosphine gas generated from pure wool may be so tiny that it may not even be an issue - we simply do not know. It's very difficult and expensive to test for, so therefore it's not tested. Believing in the precautionary approach, we think it's important to let parents know that there may be a risk in using wool in a baby's sleeping environment, although with pure organically raised and processed wool the risk is probably minimal or maybe even non-existing. I have to say we just don't know. There may also be allergy issues with wool, especially for babies.
This is one of those situations where you need to weigh the pros and cons to make a decision that’s comfortable for you. Our wool moisture puddle pads are made from wool that is raised and processed organically and is very pure. You can also wash a wool puddle pad to remove any gas-generating fungus that may be present. Or if you would rather not take a chance with wool, then the Naturepedic organic cotton waterproof pad is excellent for waterproofing. Neither of these pads will cause a baby to overheat. Overheating is a known factor in crib death, so this is an extremely important point.
One thing is for certain - the typical petroleum-based mattresses with chemical fire retardants are very dangerous for babies. When you switch to an organic cotton or an organic cotton/wool mattress, you are definitely making it safer for your baby.
Will a mattress cover protect the baby from chemicals and toxic gases in a typical adult-size mattress?
BabeSafe mattress covers (made of polyethylene) are the only covers available that are currently tested and confirmed to block toxic gases, and unfortunately, they are not available in twin, full, or adult sizes. No matter what anyone says, a mattress cover or barrier pad on an adult bed will NOT block toxic gases. As far as we know, there is no other cover available that will not off-gas and will also block toxic gases coming from a mattress. Cotton, wool, latex, barrier covers or any type of synthetic mattress cover or pad may protect the mattress, but will not protect you or your children from toxic gases coming from the mattress.
Some people are buying sheets of polyethylene at a home improvement store to wrap their adult mattress, but this can be risky since you can’t be sure of what plastic you are really getting and these materials are not tested. There are different grades of polyethylene and you can't even be sure that what you are getting is purely polyethylene. And when you wrap your adult mattress in a sheet of polyethylene, you are sleeping on plastic that is noisy and not the most comfortable bedding material.
So What's a Co-Sleeping Parent to Do?
This is an important issue, since babies spend a lot of time sleeping on a mattress, and even low-level exposures can be damaging to their brains, immune and nervous systems. However, don't let this deter you from co-sleeping, which has the most positive, healthful benefits for your baby and for you. Keep in mind the positive aspects of sleeping right next to your baby, attentive to her natural breathing rhthyms and protecting him with plenty of breastmilk. Purchase the most non-toxic mattress and bedding that you can afford and enjoy your time with your baby.
At Healthy Child, the health of babies and children is our main priority and we have done a huge amount of research and searching to find the highest quality, most non-toxic mattresses and bedding available. We offer these to you at the most competitive prices possible since we understand the financial challenges that many families have. We even have free shipping, and some of our mattresses may be less expensive than the same mattress at your local store.
See our Natural, Organic Mattress and Bedding Options
NOTE: If your baby will be sleeping in a bassinet, crib, cradle or co-sleeper for naptime or otherwise, you can purchase a NaturePedic crib, bassinet, port-crib, or cradle mattress. Naturepedic makes the safest baby mattresses available that are also waterproof, dust mite proof, and fire-proof. These mattresses do not need to be covered or wrapped. If you have a typical toxic baby mattress and can't afford to buy a non-toxic mattress, you can use a BabeSafe mattress cover to block the toxic gases from these mattresses. You can also contact us and we can have an organic cotton bassinet, cradle, porta-crib, or co-sleeper mattress custom made for your baby.
IMPORTANT:
This information is purely for educational purposes and is NOT meant to be SIDS prevention advice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Healthy Child does NOT make ANY claims that co-sleeping or using a non-toxic mattress will prevent SIDS since this has not been 100% scientifically proven, and there can be other factors involved in SIDS. None of the information or options presented here are considered to be SIDS prevention advice.
Jane Sheppard
Healthy Child
http://www.healthychild.com
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Use the information provided on this site as an educational resource for determining your options and making your own informed choices. It is not intended as medical advice or to diagnose, prescribe, or treat any specific illness.