Mattress Off-gassing Confusion on the Net

About once every 6 months, I surf the internet to see what's happening out there and what people are saying about SIDS and mattress wrapping. The past couple of days I have read numerous comments and misconceptions, largely due to skeptics who want to rely on medical doctors or organizations who, oddly enough, get their information from other medical doctors or organizations. So I'd like to address some of the things I have read.

One discussion I came across was about the chemicals that off-gas from mattresses. The assumption in regards to SIDS, is that newer mattresses are more dangerous, because they will obviously have more chemicals off-gassing. People have heard something about gases coming from mattresses, and incorrectly tie it to the new mattress off-gassing, and incorrectly tie that to the toxic gas theory for crib death. The truth is that mattresses are made with chemicals that are not healthy. The truth is that these chemicals off-gas during the life of the mattress. In regards to SIDS, the toxic nerve gases responsible for crib death are different from the chemicals that off-gas. These toxic gases are formed when a fungus, which grows in used mattresses, consumes the chemicals in the mattresses. So even when your mattress no longer has that "new mattress smell," the danger is still there for your baby.

It is important to note that ALL conventional mattresses, from crib to adult sizes, have these same chemicals, most notably fire retardants. So in regards to SIDS, a baby is not safer in an adult bed. As a matter of fact, in addition to the toxic gases that are surely coming from the adult bed (as it is even more used than most crib mattresses) there are additional hazards from poly-filled comforters, pillows, and other bedding in an adult bed. Contrary to popular belief, this is not only because they are suffocation hazards, but because these bedding items also contain the same dangerous chemicals that can produce toxic gases when they are not laundered frequently (because the fungus is allowed to grow).

It is also important to note that just because you can no longer smell your mattress, it does not mean it is finished off-gassing. When our Tempur-pedic mattress was about two years old, the smell was no longer detectable. We wrapped it with a polyethylene sheeting to test out the sheeting. A few months down the road, I accidentally ripped a small cut in the sheeting. The smell coming from the cut was the "new mattress" smell all over again. Nobody really knows how long it takes for something to completely off-gas, but the truth of the matter is, by the time it is almost done off-gassing, you will probably have already replaced it.

Another discussion I came across on the internet was about Dr. Sprott, the supplier of BabeSafe products. Here is a blog entry in particular that is quite alarming: http://www.ap-baby.com/2006/10/sids_and_mattresswrapping.html
Since there is no way to comment on this blog, I will comment here. Since this is a long blog post, I will pick out the comments that are most troublesome:

"Unfortunately the only sources I can find which cite mattress wrapping as a factor in reducing SIDS deaths are secondhand." I'm not sure what this means. How can the sources be secondhand, when they are being reported by the same person who is doing the research?

"But I went to the New Zealand Ministry of Health website (http://www.moh.govt.nz) and looked up SIDS and cot death, and was unable to find even a single mention there of mattress-wrapping." Don't you think it strange that instead of mentioning it and disclaiming it, they are totally ignoring mattress-wrapping all together? Are you under the assumption that because they don't mention it, it invalidates mattress-wrapping? I'm not sure why one would draw this conclusion, unless she is under the impression that government entities exist in order to protect citizens. I may have believed that in high school, but I have seen too much and realize the politics involved in EVERYTHING. Let's take a break from the SIDS discussion for a moment so that I can make a point. Do you know what causes AIDS? I was taught in high school, and still see in the media, that HIV causes AIDS. Are you sure? Read this:
http://www.virusmyth.com/aids/hiv/kmreason.htm
Now what would you say about HIV and AIDS? The problem is that we are giving credence to organizations who have not earned it and don't deserve it. Organizations must also do research, and ignoring someone else's does not give them the right to be heard over those who have done the work.

"(1)Ok, someone please tell me why a SIDS organization would pooh pooh a possible cause for SIDS??? What would the motivation be? I don't understand that. (2)Secondly, this is flawed logic. Disproved??? How would you "disprove" this??? (3) So they say 800 people used mattress wrapping and not one had a case of SIDS. Who says there would've been a case of SIDS there ANYways????" There is a lot in this statement, so I will take it one step at a time. (1) A SIDS organization would ignore a possible cause of SIDS because accepting it would put them out of a job. Bill Gates donated $11 million to a SIDS organization. (And we pay millions of dollars in tax money to find the "cure" for SIDS). It's the same reason that the cancer organizations hide what they already know about cures and prevention strategies! They don't do the work to disprove cancer prevention strategies or alternative therapies, they just ignore that they exist! (2) You would disprove mattress wrapping by babies having died on wrapped mattresses. But that hasn't happened. Do you really think THAT would be kept off the evening news? Where are the lawsuits? Where are the grieving parents who trusted Dr. Sprott yet lost their babies? They don't exist. (3) Nobody said "800 people used mattress wrapping." I'm not sure where this figure came from. Check out these correct mattress wrapping statistics. MANY more than 800 people have used mattress wrapping.

"Honestly, this seems like a pretty easy thing to track if ANY SIDS organization wanted to. I can't imagine that if the evidence were really so compelling, that Canada and the US government wouldn't have gotten on the bandwagon to see what effect it has." **IF** they wanted to. Exactly my point. If you really did the research, you would know that government regulations are what required the flame retardants in the mattresses in the first place. In what country do you ever find beaurocrats standing in line to incriminate themselves? And to what "bandwagon" are you referring? I thought it was only one man pushing the mattress wrapping campaign?

"If this is true, why is it not on the New Zealand Ministry of Health website? Why is it not on ANY single solitary SIDS organization website? It just doesn't make any sense." You are right- it doesn't make sense. But that doesn't mean mattress wrapping is invalid. Does THAT make sense? To ignore it along with the organizations who have no right to your blind trust?

Dr. Sprott is not the only scientist or doctor out there who promotes mattress wrapping. As a matter of fact, he did not discover the cause of SIDS on his own. For people who just don't want to accept Dr. Sprott and his findings by what they read on the web, I encourage them to get a copy of Cot Death Cover-up? where they can learn what has really happened behind the scenes in the SIDS/crib death industry. You can read chapter one and decide if you want to read more. What is not fair is people accusing Dr. Sprott of inventing the whole mattress wrapping campaign to sell mattresses or BabeSafe covers.

Some other things I have read include information on wrapping a baby's mattress with foil or cotton. I don't know about foil, but cotton does not ward off the toxic gases OR the chemicals off-gassing from the mattress. I've also read about people using organic, or natural mattresses, and then using waterproof mattress pads under baby, which is just as bad as using conventional mattresses! One thing that really blows people away, because it is supposed to be so natural, is that wool is also not recommended for use under babies in regards to crib death prevention. This is because wool and sheepskin often contain phosphorus, arsenic, or antimony, all of which can lead to toxic nerve gas production.

So in a nutshell, you MUST sit down and read all the information regarding Dr. Sprott's work. Do not take a part of it, something you heard from someone else, and your own opinion and expect to have the facts. You can learn more at Prevent SIDS, and there are media releases here at my blog if you would like to call Dr. Sprott yourself. Because the media isn't doing it, and our government isn't doing it, it is up to us as parents to do the research and act, whether it's protecting our own babies or informing other parents.

NEW ZEALAND COT DEATH (SIDS) RESEARCH INVALIDATED BY BIASED SAMPLING AND INCORRECT STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

JOURNAL EDITOR REFERS RESEARCH TO PUBLISHER FOR LEGAL PURPOSES

New Zealand cot death (SIDS) research by Professor E A Mitchell published in the February 2008 issue of the European Journal of Pediatrics (1) is invalidated by biased sampling and incorrect statistical analysis, says New Zealand cot death prevention expert Dr Jim Sprott OBE.

The research reports a 2005 postal survey of 400 Auckland mothers regarding practices adopted for cot death prevention. (2) On the basis of 280 responses, Dr Mitchell reported the incidence of mattress-wrapping for cot death prevention as being 21.7%; and concluded that even if mattress-wrapping were 100% effective in preventing cot death, the practice could have reduced the New Zealand cot death rate by only 22% from 1994 to 2004 (as compared with an actual reduction of 63%).

"Dr Mitchell's research is invalid," stated Dr Sprott.

"First, the research sample was biased. The mothers were recruited from the birth list at Auckland City Hospital, which is a New Zealand Ministry of Health hospital; and the Ministry's policy on mattress-wrapping is that there is no evidence of a link between mattresses and cot death risk. Obviously, sourcing survey participants from Auckland City Hospital (many of whom would have attended antenatal classes at which the Ministry's policy on mattress-wrapping was presented) will have resulted in a highly unreliable statistic for the incidence of mattress-wrapping in the general community. It is likely that the incidence of mattress-wrapping has been under-reported."

In order to survey the incidence of mattress-wrapping in the New Zealand community, survey participants must be sourced from records of the New Zealand Registrar of Births, not records of a Ministry of Health hospital, said Dr Sprott.

"Secondly, Dr Mitchell's statistical analysis is nonsense," stated Dr Sprott. "In any group of medical interventions aimed at the same result (for example, prevention of a particular disease), it would be entirely possible for one intervention practised by (say) 40% of a population group to result in (say) 70% of the reduction of the incidence of the disease. As a matter of statistics, the efficacy of a particular intervention is not by definition linked to the percentage number of the group who practise that intervention.

"Dr Mitchell's claim that if 22% of babies sleep on wrapped mattresses, that can account for only 22% of the reduction in the cot death rate, is simply incorrect."

Dr Sprott said it was noteworthy that the medical statistician involved in the Auckland survey (Dr A W Stewart of Auckland University Medical School) was not listed as a co-author of Dr Mitchell's mattress-wrapping research published in the European Journal of Pediatrics, despite the fact that Dr Stewart co-authored other results from the survey not relating to mattress-wrapping and published in the New Zealand Medical Journal in 2006. (3)

New Zealand Doctor Online, which published a report of Dr Mitchell's mattress-wrapping research on 11 December 2007, has now amended its website claim that "Mattress wrapping doesn't account for fall in SIDS deaths".

"Clearly, that claim by New Zealand Doctor Online was defamatory of mattress-wrapping products which are marketed for cot death prevention," said Dr Sprott. "Since 1995 an estimated 165,000 New Zealand babies have slept on mattresses wrapped for cot death prevention. There has been no reported cot death among those babies, and furthermore the New Zealand cot death rate has fallen by 67%. (4)

The Editor in Chief of the European Journal of Pediatrics has referred Dr Mitchell's research to the publisher of the journal (Springer Science & Business Media) for legal purposes.

Dr Sprott noted that Dr Mitchell's research may be publicised at the 10th SIDS International Conference, to be held in Britain in June 2008. Accordingly, Dr Sprott will be notifying cot death researchers internationally regarding the biased sampling and invalid statistical analysis in Dr Mitchell's research.
Notes:
1. Mitchell, E A, Wrapping a cot mattress in plastic does not explain the continuing fall in SIDS mortality, European Journal of Pediatrics 2008; 167(2): 251-252 (Short Report).
2. "Survey of infant care practices that have been recommended for SIDS prevention", Auckland Ethics Committee reference AKY/04/08/217. Researchers: E Mitchell, L Hutchison, A Stewart, D Tipene-Leach, R Haretuku, M Battin.
3. Hutchison, L, Stewart, A W, Mitchell, E, SIDS-protective infant care practices among Auckland, New Zealand mothers, NZ Med J 2006; 119(1247): U2365.
4. Mattress-wrapping statistic based on two research studies which reported the incidence of mattress-wrapping in New Zealand: NZ Med J 2000; 113: 8-10; NZ Med J 2000; 113: 326-327. Source of cot death statistics: New Zealand Ministry of Health.

Media release issued by:

T J Sprott OBE MSc PhD FNZIC

Consulting chemist & forensic scientist

10 Combes Road

Remuera

Auckland 1050

NEW ZEALAND

Phone/fax: +64-9-5231150

e-mail: sprott@iconz.co.nz

NEW ZEALAND ASTHMA RESEARCH

23 November 2007MEDIA RELEASE FOR PUBLICATION

NEW ZEALAND ASTHMA RESEARCH: CONCLUSIONS OUT-OF-DATE AND MISLEADING FOR PARENTS

New Zealand asthma research published this month in the journal "Clinical and Experimental Allergy" is a further reason for babies' mattresses to be wrapped in specified plastic, says cot death prevention expert Dr Jim Sprott OBE.

An Auckland University research team has found that sleeping on a used mattress in the first year of life is a risk factor for asthma.(1) The researchers stated that their finding "could be related to the observation that used mattresses have higher levels of [dust] mite allergen."

"The researchers are treating their finding as new, but their conclusions are already out-of-date", stated Dr Sprott. "Canadian asthma research reported in New Zealand in 1998 showed that encasing a mattress in an impermeable plastic cover prevents exposure to house dust mites, so it stands to reason that unwrapped cot mattresses are associated with elevated asthma risk."

In the Canadian research mattresses were encased in vapour-impermeable covers. Using sensitive assays, investigators found that encasement of the mattress significantly reduced house dust mite allergen in beds.(2) Noting that children are most likely to become sensitised to allergens during the first year of life, researcher Dr Allan Becker stated that mattresses should be encased from the time of a baby's birth to minimise exposure to allergens and subsequent sensitisation.

Mattress-wrapping is widely practised in New Zealand for the elimination of cot death risk.(3) "Quite obviously, babies' mattresses should also be wrapped to reduce asthma risk," stated Dr Sprott. "In view of the longstanding Canadian research finding, the Auckland University researchers clearly should take the logical next step and tell parents to wrap babies' mattresses to reduce asthma risk."

Dr Sprott noted that the Auckland University researchers reported a link between daycare attendance and the likelihood of respiratory tract infections. "US research has also shown, again years ago, that cot death risk is much higher in daycares than in babies' own homes," stated Dr Sprott.(4) "The reason for both findings is the multiple re-use of unwrapped mattresses in daycares. So once again the Auckland University researchers should take the logical next step and tell parents to wrap mattresses for avoidance of microbial infections."

"Mattress-wrapping is also essential for prevention of head flattening in babies," stated Dr Sprott. "If a baby is sleeping on a mattress wrapped in accordance with the cot death prevention protocol, the baby does not need to sleep face-up, and so the risk of head flattening can be eliminated by use of the side-sleeping position."

"Paediatric advice on the infant sleeping environment needs urgent revision," stated Dr Sprott. "Parents are being denied full information. Mattress-wrapping in accordance with the cot death prevention protocol eliminates cot death risk, and head flattening can also be avoided; mattress-wrapping also reduces asthma risk and risk of microbial infection.

"So why don't the New Zealand Ministry of Health, Plunket Society and the Auckland University researchers tell parents to wrap babies' mattresses?"

Notes:
1. Mitchell, E A, et al, Risk factors for asthma at 3.5 and 7 years of age, Clinical & Experimental Allergy 2000; 37 (12), 1747–1755.
2. New Zealand GP (11 February 1998), page 20. Chan-Yueng, M, et al, A Randomized Controlled Study on the Effectiveness of a Multifaceted Intervention Program in the Primary Prevention of Asthma in High-Risk Infants, Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2000; 154: 657-663. Allergen levels in beds where families had encased the mattress were 0.22 microgram of allergen per gram of dust, as compared with 1.18 microgram of allergen per gram of dust for families who did not encase the mattress.
3. Since 1995 an estimated 165,000 New Zealand babies have slept on mattresses wrapped for cot death prevention. During that time the New Zealand nationwide cot death rate has fallen by 67% and the Pakeha (majority NZ European) ethnic rate has fallen by around 84%. There has been no reported cot death among babies sleeping on "wrapped mattresses". Mattress-wrapping statistic based on two research studies which reported the incidence of mattress-wrapping in New Zealand: NZ Med J 2000; 113: 8-10; NZ Med J 2000; 113: 326-327.
4. Moon, R Y, et al, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome in Child Care Settings, Pediatrics 2000; 106: 295-300.

Media release issued by:
T J Sprott OBE MSc PhD FNZIC
Consulting chemist & forensic scientist
10 Combes Road
RemueraAuckland
1050NEW ZEALAND
Phone/fax: +64-9-5231150e-mail: sprott@iconz.co.nz
website: http://www.cotlife2000.co.nz/

To purchase a mattress cover for your baby's mattress, please visit Eve's Best.

Simplicity Crib Recall

**These types of deaths are not SIDS, but very related nonetheless. Please make sure your crib is not part of this recall.

NEWS from CPSC
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Information and Public Affairs
Washington, DC 20207

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 21, 2007
Release #07-307

Simplicity's Recall Hotline: (888) 593-9274
CPSC Hotline: (800) 638-2772CPSC
Media Contact: (301) 504-7908
Simplicity Media Contact: (713) 301-0733

About 1 Million Simplicity Cribs Recalled Due To Failures Resulting inInfant Deaths

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) isannouncing today a voluntary recall with Simplicity Inc., of Reading,Pa., of about 1 million cribs. The drop-side can detach from the crib,which can create a dangerous gap and lead to the entrapment andsuffocation of infants. CPSC is aware of two deaths in Simplicitymanufactured cribs with older style hardware, including a 9-month-oldchild and a 6-month-old child, where the drop-side was installed upsidedown. CPSC is also aware of seven infant entrapments and 55 incidents inthese cribs.

CPSC is also investigating the death of a 1-year-old child in aSimplicity crib with newer style hardware, in which the drop-side wasinstalled upside down. CPSC is warning parents and caregivers to checkall Simplicity cribs to make sure the drop-side is installed right sideup.
The drop-side failures result from both the hardware and crib design,which allow consumers to unintentionally install the drop-side upsidedown. This, in turn, can weaken the hardware and cause the drop-side todetach from the crib. When the drop-side detaches, it creates a gap inwhich infants can become entrapped.

CPSC is also aware of two incidents that occurred when the drop-side wascorrectly installed with older style hardware, though the upside downinstallation greatly increases the risk of failure.

The recalled Simplicity crib models include: Aspen 3 in 1, Aspen 4 in 1,Nursery-in-a-Box, Crib N Changer Combo, Chelsea and Pooh 4 in 1. Therecall also involves the following Simplicity cribs that used the Graco logo: Aspen 3 in 1, Ultra 3 in 1, Ultra 4 in1, Ultra 5 in 1, Whitney and the Trio.

The recalled cribs have one of the following model numbers, which can befound on the envelope attached to the mattress support and on the labelattached to the headboard: 4600, 4605, 4705, 5000, 8000, 8324, 8800,8740, 8910, 8994, 8050, 8750, 8760, and 8996.

The cribs, which were made in China, were sold in department stores,children's stores and mass merchandisers nationwide from January 1998through May 2007 for between $100 and $300.
As an immediate precaution, consumers should check to see if thedrop-side is installed right side up. To do this, check to see that theslightly rounded rail with the decorative groove is installed at the topand the plain rail is on the bottom. Next, consumers should make surethe drop-side is securely attached to the tracks in all four corners.

If the drop-side is installed upside down or not securely attached,consumers should stop using the crib immediately. Incorrect installationcan cause permanent damage to the hardware and re-installing thedrop-side using the same hardware is unsafe.

Consumers should check to see if their crib contains the recalledhardware. Recalled hardware has a flexible tab at the bottom of thelower tracks and the top of the lower tracks are open. Newer hardware,which is not subject to the recall, has the flexible tab located at thetop of the lower track, and a permanent stop at the bottom.

Consumers who have a crib with older style hardware can receive a freerepair by immediately contacting Simplicity toll-free at (888) 593-9274between 8:30 a.m. and 10 p.m. ET Monday through Thursday, between 8 a.m.and 5 p.m. ET on Friday, and between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET on Saturday,or by visiting the firm's Web site at http://www.simplicityforchildren.com/

Consumers who have a crib with newer style hardware and have installedthe drop-side upside down or have broken hardware, should also contactSimplicity immediately.

Consumer Action Guide: Style of Crib Hardware - Consumer Response
Older Hardware - Recalled: Consumers should contact Simplicityimmediately for a free repair.
Newer Hardware - Warning: Consumers should check crib'sdrop-side to ensure it is assembled right side up and inspect forbroken hardware.

To see this recall on CPSC's web site, including pictures showing properand improper drop-side installations, and older and newer hardware,please go to: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml07/07307.html

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from morethan 15,000 types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction.Deaths, injuries and property damage from consumer product incidentscost the nation more than $700 billion annually. The CPSC is committedto protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire,electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard or can injure children. TheCPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys,cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals -contributed significantly to the 30 percent decline in the rate ofdeaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30years.

To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC'shotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270, orvisit CPSC's web site at www.cpsc.gov/talk.html. To join a CPSC emailsubscription list, please go to www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx. Consumerscan obtain this release and recall information at CPSC's Web site athttp://www.cpsc.gov/.

How Should My Baby Sleep to Prevent SIDS?

If you read enough information about SIDS prevention, you will get the idea that we are trying to save babies by keeping them as uncomfortable as possible! Surely, if we keep babies cold ("don't overheat") and lay them flat on their backs (Back to Sleep Campaign) they will never fall into a deep sleep, and will never NOT wake up if they aren't in a deep sleep. Right? Oh, I forgot; we are also supposed to lay them on a rock hard mattress! That should help.

Seriously, what ARE we supposed to do? I remember when my son was a newborn and we could not get him to sleep. It turns out that he was a high needs baby who would have been labeled "colicky" by most parents who like labeling their children. Nevertheless, it was a nightmare trying to get him to sleep. I discovered that the only way he would sleep well (or at all) was if we placed him on his stomach. Yes, I worried over this. I got on the internet. I asked the doctor, who told me incorrectly that because he could move his head well, was a good size, and apparently healthy, that he would be fine sleeping on his stomach. But I never felt okay about it until he was over a year, and by that time he was sleeping on his back.

Is it ever okay to put a baby on his tummy to sleep? Believe it or not, it is. But only when the baby's mattress is wrapped with a BabeSafe mattress cover. This product is a livesaver for many parents just like me who have picky babies that want to be on their tummies!

The other suggestion, "keep your baby cool to prevent overheating," is a good one. I don't know about you, but I don't like being cold! I certainly don't like being cold while trying to sleep. This suggestion leads parents to believe that 1) swaddling is not okay, and 2) overheating causes SIDS. First, swaddling your baby is one of the best ways to make her feel secure. You can swaddle her with thin blankets during the summer, and on especially warm days, swaddle her with just a diaper on. During the winter, make your baby comfortable according to the temperature in your house, and close the heat vent in his room. The ROOM should be cool- NOT the baby. You will never overheat your baby if he is dressed warmly and the room is cool. A cool room is the best room for anyone to sleep, and the same goes for babies.

Second, overheating does not cause SIDS. It is a risk factor, but focusing too much on risk factors keeps focus off the big picture. The big picture is that no one seems to know (after decades of research and billions of dollars spent) exactly what causes SIDS. And the ones who offer a pretty fair assessment, like Jim Sprott and Barry Richardson, are ignored.

I'm not going to tell you it's okay to start smoking, you should stop breastfeeding, it's okay to throw a blanket over your baby, or that your baby should sleep on his tummy. What I am going to tell you is that the SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU CAN DO TO PREVENT SIDS is to put a BabeSafe mattress cover on his mattress. Based on the toxic gas explanation for crib death, the mattress cover prevents toxic gases that are coming from the mattress from reaching your baby. With a BabeSafe mattress cover, your baby CAN sleep on his tummy, and you can sleep at night knowing that he is safe and comfortable. And that is how EVERY baby should sleep!

April is Autism Awareness Month

It might seem odd that I would mention Autism Awareness Month on a SIDS Prevention blog, but if you examine the two closely, you will see that they are very much related. I am not a scientist. I am not an expert. I do, however, have common sense and my intelligence cannot be bought.

There are horrible, nasty, things going on in our environment which are affecting every drop of blood in our body, every millimeter of bone in our limbs, and the medical community is way behind the times when it comes to admitting what's going on. Just as global warming has divided the nation, so have we divided when it comes to the damage we are doing to ourselves by our very own hands. Some prefer to stick their heads in the sand, or look the other way- and they aren't the ones necessarily causing the trouble. They are just the ones who want to pretend that everything is okay, our leaders are protecting us, and money doesn't make the world go 'round.

But we all know that is not true. Whether from vaccinations, pesticides, nuclear wastes, plastics, genetically modified food, prescription drugs, or synthetic chemicals- we are ALL affected in one way or another. SIDS. Autism. Asthma. Diabetes. Cancer. The statistics are soaring, in younger and younger children. Until we all stop looking the other way and start finding the causes, it is only going to get worse.

We hear on the news every night about the energy crisis, the cost of gas, and what will happen when the petroleum industry is replaced by alternative energy. Don't worry. Our government is already creating entirely new industries by allowing harmful carcinogens and toxins in ours and our children's environments which create new jobs and keep the flow of money in our economy. Cancer is a multi-billion dollar industry by itself. Everybody complains about Halliburton, as they hand over their "find a cure" dollars to health organizations and have no idea what's going on with their money. Yes, it does make the world go 'round...

Crib Mattresses and SIDS

I've been doing some on-line surfing lately and have read a number of comments from parents on the difficulty of finding crib mattresses that are not rock hard. They all seem to think this is "great for SIDS prevention" but their babies can't sleep on the too firm surface. Some even mentioned feeling each of the springs coming up through the mattress. Ouch!

The problem with this line of thinking is that we have been incorrectly ingrained to believe that a firm surface is the most important thing to look for when considering a safe crib mattress in regards to SIDS (more correctly known as crib death). The fear is that a baby will bury his face into a mattress that will conform to his mouth and nose, suffocating him. First of all, this is not SIDS or crib death, but suffocation. The two are different and classified differently- most of the time. Unfortunately, because it is recommended that a "firm mattress" be used, people assume that suffocation is a part of SIDS and fear that babies all over the world have been suffocating on their mattresses. This is not so.

The important part that is missed so often is the toxic gas theory for crib death, which is growing in acceptance. Crib mattresses are not dangerous because they are too soft or too firm. They are dangerous because they are made from chemicals that are emitting deadly, toxic nerve gases that babies are breathing in. The Back to Sleep Campaign helped prevent many deaths when babies placed on their backs were kept from breathing in these dense gases that hover just on the surface of the mattress. Sadly, most doctors and SIDS organizations either don't know or don't accept the real reason why the Back to Sleep Campaign has been successful! You can learn more about the toxic gas theory and it's development and cover-up in the book, Cot Death Cover-up? by Jim Sprott.

So what is a parent to do? First, find a comfortable mattress. Make that a priority. Then, wrap it with a BabeSafe mattress cover. The most important thing is that no matter what mattress you select, that you wrap it with this gas impermeable cover. This practice has been followed for 12 years in New Zealand and all over the world with ZERO deaths. Because many parents find that their babies will only sleep on their tummies (just like mine), a BabeSafe mattress cover is especially important. When the baby's mattress is wrapped, it is safe with regards to crib death.

Now that you have the mattress, you've got to get it covered! Do not use typical mattress pads made for crib mattresses. Use only what you know (don't trust the label) to be 100% cotton. A bath towel fits perfectly on a crib mattress and works well for this purpose. This 100% cotton "underblanket" serves only one purpose: comfort for the baby. On top of this, place your baby's fitted sheet, which can be as much as 50% poly/ 50% cotton, but try to use 100% cotton. DO NOT USE 100% POLYESTER (SUCH AS FLEECE).

Now for the blanket, which is another misconception. It is okay to use blankets in the baby's bed. Use 100% cotton blankets for this purpose. (Wool is okay, too, but we prefer cotton.) Do not use blankets made from polyester, acrylic, or that is padded, quilted, or filled. A simple cotton flannel or knitted blanket is sufficient as well as safe. (Again, many parents have been misled into thinking babies are suffocating on blankets when in fact, synthetic blankets emit the same toxic nerve gases once they become soiled.)

Many people ask if it's okay to use a previously used mattress. While an unwrapped used mattress is more dangerous than a new mattress, a mattress wrapped in a BabeSafe mattress cover is perfectly safe, whether used or new. (Remember that as soon as a baby sleeps on the mattress it is "used.") It also doesn't matter if you select a foam or innerspring mattress. If it is covered, it's covered. You might find foam to be more comfortable, but make sure you also get a BabeSafe mattress cover!!