bedside crib safety
Hey moms!
We know you want the best for your baby. That’s why you make a point to research the safest products they will come into contact with. Before deciding on the sleep environment best for your family, there’s something you need to know. Not all cribs/bassinets/sleepers are made alike. Without knowing what safety certifications and materials to choose, you run the risk of opting for a sleeper that is made with toxic materials which can pose a threat to your baby’s health.
Certain paints, glues, woods, and plastics can emit harmful chemicals and gasses known to cause cognitive delays, chronic health issues such as allergies, asthma, kidney failure, cancer, and more. Knowing that your newborn baby will be spending 16-18 hours a day in their crib, it is vitally important to make the most educated decision on which one you use. Choosing a trustworthy crib and mattress is one of the best choices you can make for your baby, and we’re here to help take the guesswork out of the process.
MUST HAVE SAFETY CERTIFICATIONS
Listed below are the leading safety certifications to look for when deciding on the safest sleeper for your baby. Each year, the standards are updated to adapt to technology and changes in the market. As a result, leaders in crib safety urge parents to use a new crib, not one handed down. Older cribs may not meet current standards and have the potential of risking your baby’s safety. Look for the following safety certifications when deciding on your next sleeper.
✔ASTM (American Society for Testing Materials)
The ASTM is one of the leading third-party product testers. They focus on the structural safety of a product — how it’s built, it’s ability to maintain safety with normal wear and tear, the safety of the materials used, and they also search for toxins in finishes, paints, flame retardants and more.
✔OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 for BABIES
The OEKO-TEX Standard 100 label guarantees that each and every material used in the process of making a product, is 100% safe for your baby. Arguably the most rigorous testing criteria of them all, OEKO-TEX searches for both regulated and non-regulated substances, going beyond national and international requirements. The company also updates its standards at least once a year, if not more, to incorporate scientific finds, and changes to statutory requirements — which is no small feat.
IDENTIFYING TOXINS & HOW TO AVOID THEM
🚫 VOCs – Volatile Organic Compounds
VOCs are gasses emitted from certain woods, glues, and paint finishes. On items kept indoors, they can be up to 10x more harmful, especially to babies. What qualifies as a VOC? Formaldehyde, benzene, phenol, phthalates, and a slew of other gasses I can’t pronounce. Whatever the name, I certainly don’t want them anywhere near my baby.
Long story short, when chronic exposure to VOCs occurs, it can cause asthma, lung infections, allergies, liver damage, central nervous system damage, kidney damage, and cancer. Make sure to pay attention to the materials used in making the product — if it requires extra glues, plastics, adhesives, or if it says NO VOC paints/finishes.
🚫 PVC AND PHTHALATES:
Found in soft plastics and are used to add fragrance to products (to avoid smelling toxins.) If it smells artificial, it probably is. PVCs and Phthalates are known for making allergies worse in children, can cause kidney and liver lesions, cancers, and reproductive problems.
🚫 BISPHENOLS (BPA + BPS):
Used in the making of clear hard plastics. Has been shown to cause prostate cancer, breast cancer, female infertility, obesity, and reproductive damage.
🚫 FLAME RETARDANT CHEMICALS:
Often used on textiles, mattresses, foam inserts. Can cause endocrine and thyroid disruption, immune system disruption, reproductive issues, cancers, and have adverse effects on child development.
SELECTING THE RIGHT MATERIALS
WOOD
Always choose Solid Hardwoods. Other options such as solid softwood, or MDFs (Medium Density Fiberboards — such as particleboard and plywood,) require glues, plastics, and other adhesive materials (to hold them together,) which may contain VOCs or other toxins — in particular, formaldehyde.
| ✔SAFE | 🚫AVOID |
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PAINT/FINISHES
Always inspect the type of paint or finish used in manufacturing. Water-based paints are the only non-VOC emitting paints available on the market. This is one of the main reasons that using hand-me-down cribs is not recommended. Restrictions have become more strict in recent years, but, in the past, it was not uncommon to use paints made with lead — which you definitely don’t want your baby around!
WHY BABYBAY BEDSIDE CO-SLEEPERS ARE THE BEST OPTION
babybay is the ONLY eco-friendly, non-toxic, fully attachable co-sleeper on the market. Here’s how we’re leading the pack:
babybay offers a line of all-natural, sustainably sourced, eco-friendly bedside sleepers to promote a healthy sleep environment for your newborn. Unlike other co-sleepers on the market, babybay uses no plastics or harmful glues. All our finishes are low to zero VOC and certified non-toxic.
babybay’s only have a few basic ingredients:
- 100% natural beechwood
- Water-based wood glue
- Water-based finishes (Untreated babybay has no finish) NO VOC
- Metal hardware: contains no heavy metals such as lead or cadmium
- We NEVER use medium-density fiberboard (MDF), fillers, or artificial materials.
Safety Certifications: ASTM, CPSC, FSC, TUV/GS, Oeko Tex-100 Class 1
Our Mattresses: Free from hazardous chemicals, awarded the “Confidence in Textiles” certificate for being free of harmful substances (Öeko-tex Standard 100 Class 1 for babies)
Take the guesswork out of the bedside crib safety process by choosing a babybay bedside sleeper for your newborn baby.