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Non-Toxic Kids

Non-Toxic Kids
Non-Toxic Kids shares information about what parents care most about-- keeping their kids safe in a toxic world. It is filled with usable information for busy mamas-- research summaries, news updates, product reviews and recommendations, tips for m

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Notice Anything Different?
2008-03-20 01:29:00
Greetings observant Non-Toxic Kids readers. I bet you already noticed our new web address. Yep, we've got ourselves our own little special domain at non-toxickids.net. You will be able to get to the site from the old blogspot address for the foreseeable future, but please update your bookmarks just in case so you don't miss anything (because that would be, well, awful!). And be sure to notice you need the hyphen in the address, too (my English teachers would be proud). In the coming weeks we will be completely overhauling the site to provide more information, links, and resources to our dear readers. So, stay tuned! And be sure to contact me via email with any suggestions or ideas for the newly designed site at non-toxic-kids(at)comcast(dot)net.
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The Environmental Working Group Answers Your Questions about BPA (and tired
2008-03-18 20:34:00
Check out this new article from the Enviroblog about BPA in consumer products. There is a lot to keep track of, and many folks are confused about what contains it, what doesn't and what to do about it. This is a great article that addresses these concerns from the Environmental Working Group , scientists that actually do this kind of research and keep track of scientific data to share with the public. The article reviews the concerns behind BPA, or bisphenol A, and the consumer goods it is in, and the science behind it all. To read it, click here. Or, if you are making dinner, hearing your baby cry, and really don't have time to read it here is my condensed summary of the article. Ready?**BPA is a chemical found in polycarbonate plastics and the linings of food and beverage containers. It leeches into the food and beverages it comes into contact with, and is linked to breast and prostate cancer, as well as problems with the neurological development of fetuses, and babies. It makes ...
More About: Questions , Answers

Some Jason, Citrus Magic and Alba Products Contain a Toxic Ingredient, 1,4
2008-03-17 04:22:00
Just when you thought that you were buying nice, happy, not chemically laden, better for the earth products, here comes this news. Turns out that a study released by the Organic Consumers Association revealed a toxic carcinogenic contaminant called 1,4 Dioxane (no, I don't know why there is a comma between the numbers) is in many popular brands of body washes, dish soap, and lotions that are labeled "natural" and "organic". And up until now, the presence of this toxin in these products has been undisclosed. So no matter how good you were about checking labels for ingredients, you would never have known this was in anything. Great.Interestingly, products that were certified USDA organic did not contain this toxin, whereas many products that are not certified organic did contained it. Other studies of conventional mainstream products have shown the presence of 1,4 Dioxane before, but this is the first study to implicate brands that claim to be "natural" or "organic". According ...
More About: Products , Magic , Alba , Jason , Citrus

Win a BPA Free Baby Bottle Sampler Kit-
2008-03-15 19:51:00
I like free stuff as much as the next person, and this one is too good to be true. The good folks at The Soft Landing (who sell BPA free baby gear and share lots of great information on their site) are giving away this kit through the website Momsational. All you have to do is follow this link and leave a comment by March 24th. That's it! If you want to learn more about BPA in baby gear, please look at the labels section of this blog under BPA to learn about this chemical that is many baby products and has been linked to several health problems, especially for growing babies. Good luck!
More About: Baby , Free , Sampler , Bottle

The Best Cream for Eczema--Finally!
2008-03-15 01:50:00
So, okay, sometimes the doctors are right. Really. My almost one year old has had bright red half dollar sized patches on her torso, the backs of her legs, and shoulders for months. When I took her to the pediatrician, they said to use hydrocortisone cream on her (which is a skin thinning steroid cream-- sounds great and harmless!) and Eucerin. I thought, ha! I'll find some natural, botanical, no chemical brand that will work even better. Not so much. First I tried California Baby's Calendula cream. This was a nice, think cream that looked like it would really work. I used it up in about a week, and it didn't clear up the rash. I think this cream would work well for kids with extreme dry skin, but not for full eczema. Next I tried Jason Natural Cosmetics- Earth's Best Baby Therapy Cream . This was also thick and worked a bit better, but also went very fast and didn't clear it up, even when I used it right after her bath like everyone told me to. So, I researched the ...
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The Skinny on Flame Retardants (or PCBEs) --
2008-03-13 02:06:00
The chemicals in flame retardants have been a nagging voice in the back of my head for quite some time. I know they are bad. I know they are in my kids' sleepers. In my sofa, and in our mattresses. This is one area where I saw no immediate helpful solutions. It was high time to learn more. Issue Summary: The deal is that our government requires that children's sleepwear and mattresses meet certain standards for flame resistance. Most are treated with a flame retardant that contains polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PCBEs. These chemicals have been causing increased concern because of their many associated health risks. Apparently, PCBEs have increasingly been linked to numerous health problems, such as thyroid hormone imbalance, and lower IQ and developmental delays. They also have been linked to cancer in animal studies.Women and their babies in the U.S. are of particular concern. Nursing moms have 10 to 20 times the rates of PCBEs in their breast milk than women in Eu...
More About: Skinny , Flame

Update: The Senate Passes the CPSC Reform Bill (S. 2663)--
2008-03-11 03:36:00
Some good news, but don't hold your breath yet--The CPSC reform bill (S. 2663) has passed the Senate , and now heads to conference committee where the differences between the house and senate versions will be worked out.Let's hope the differences being "worked out" will not involve the watering down of the important provisions of this bill. Essentially, this bill in its current state would markedly strengthen the CPSC, increase penalties for violating companies, ban lead in all children's products (like bibs!) and not just toys , and would require that toys be tested by independent labs before they are sold. It is about time! There were some excellent amendments added to the senate version, one that I think Non-Toxic readers will be excited about is from Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) that ban phthalates in children?s products as of Jan. 1, 2009. See these posts for more information about the health problems associated with phthalates.Another amendment by Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N...
More About: Reform , Update , Bill

Children's Books without Toxic Stereotypes for Boys and Girls--
2008-03-08 17:29:00
In my view, there are many more "toxic" things in our world then chemicals. Sure, there are a whole host of toxic chemicals that are in our products, our air, and in our food that we need to learn more about, and protect our families from. But that is not what I am posted about today. I recently read the Packaging Girlhood: Rescuing Our Daughters from Marketers' Schemes, by Sharon Lamb and Lyn Mikel Brown. This book points out what you have to be blind to have missed-- how marketers decide what your children should be interested in, do and buy based on their gender. Just take a look at any Pottery Barn catalog or a sale flier from Toys R Us. The girls are encouraged to shop, observe, care lots about houses, food, and taking care of babies. Boys are encouraged to explore, build, construct, and play sports. The Packaging of Girlhood is a great, informative and disturbing read. It shares specific information about marketing to different age groups: toddlers, little girls, pr...
More About: Books , Girls , Stereotypes , Toxic

Take Action to get rid of Phthalates in Toys--
2008-03-07 02:15:00
The folks over at the Center for Health, Environment and Justice just sent this email to me about an important ammendment to the CPSC reform bill that would ban phthalates in toys. This is a great start to limiting our kids' exposure to these chemicals! Here is the text of the email, including directions for how to contact your senator to encourage he or she to support this important ammendment. "You have probably heard all about lead in children's toys, but did you know many children's PVC toys contain additional harmful chemicals such as phthalates? Phthalates have been linked to birth defects in baby boys, testicular cancer, liver problems and early onset of puberty in girls-a risk factor for later-life breast cancer. What's worse, when children play with and chew on their toys, they can be exposed to potentially dangerous levels of these harmful chemicals. We have an opportunity to prevent harm and get these nasty chemicals out of our children's toys, and need your he...
More About: Toys , Action

Some Natural Diaper Creams have Almond Oil-- Avoid Using with Nut Allergic
2008-03-06 04:20:00
I've gotten pretty good at reading food labels at the grocery store, and thankfully have not had any major exposures to nuts with my allergic daughter. So I was shocked a few months ago when I was slathering her bum with Burt's Bees diaper cream, and causally looked at the ingredients. There it was, plain as day. Not in bold, like I have been trained to look for in food, but in the pretty cursive font they use for their ingredient list. Sweet Almond Oil. I had been inadvertently exposing my peanut and tree nut allergic child to almond oil directly on her skin. Nice. Very smart. Thankfully she had no reactions, but I quickly tried to find something else to use. But before I buy anything I also look at its safety rating over at the Environmental Working Group's database called Skin Deep. I found Jason Organics? diaper cream was well rated. No dice. Same deal, it has sweet almond oil in it. I've been trying Avalon Organics? bum cream now, but it is rather like an ointme...
More About: Natural , Avoid , Diaper

The Green and Chemically Conscious Parent Market--
2008-03-04 02:37:00
It looks like the business world is finally waking up to the opportunity that lies in green and chemical conscious parents. This article in the Washington Post describes the growing movement of parents (driven partially by blogs) that are opting to buy more expensive, safer gear for their kids, and how the market is reacting. Check it out here. This is all well and good, but what about the folks who can't shell out the extra bucks for an organic mattress without flame retardants, or the sippy cups and bottles without BPA, or the wood toys made without lead made in the USA? Why should their children be exposed to more chemicals simply because of their parents' financial situation? While I am glad that more ethical, green companies are popping up to fill this niche, I also worry we are creating another division in our society, and this one having a negative consequence on many of our nation's kids. I'm waiting, waiting for the new safety standards for toys and baby products ...
More About: Market , Green , Parent

It's about time: Toys R Us and Wal-mart step up toy safety standards--
2008-03-01 22:01:00
I've always been quite skeptical and downright weary of big box stores, because of many, many reasons (most of which have been in the press in recent years). It's not just that I don't like being in large groups of people, under bright lights, with tacky music playing. It's all the social and environmental reasons that really stop me in my consumer tracks. You've all heard the stories, the wetlands filled in by Wal-marts (but they created one just like it down the street--honest!), the mom and pop stores shut down by the huge, price slashing competition, the water runoff polution problems because of all that blasted pavement, and the list goes on. But this post is not about that. I am sorely aware that many of us have to do some of our shopping at big box stores. For some, the big box store is all that is in the area that carries underwear, storage containers, and socks. Some simple necessities. For folks living in poverty, and those in the shrinking middle class, these ...
More About: Standards , Safety , Toys , Time , Mart

Paper or Plastic? Skeeda, please--
2008-02-29 02:51:00
Ready for some statistics that will make you remember your cloth bags on your next trip to the grocery store? I know, remembering more than the kids (and the diaper bag) and a food list is a pain in the #$%*. Here's why we should remember anyway--The average family accumulates over 60 bags in only 4 trips to the grocery store. That is a lot of plastic! So paper should be better, right?It takes more than 4 times as much energy to manufacture a paper bag then it does a plastic bag. Add that to the fact that making paper bags produces tons of greenhouse gases, and forests help control climate change to begin with. Maybe not the better choice. And according to the Wall Street Journal, the U.S. consumes 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually requiring approximately 12 million barrels of oil. Not so good for that energy independence idea everyone keeps talking about (well, not everyone. See the last post for the sad reality of what our presidential candidates are not talking...
More About: Paper , Plastic

Chemicals in Your Body, "The Next Big Environmental Issue After Global Warm
2008-02-28 05:03:00
I recently came across an article in Newsweek called "The Chemicals Within". It was filled with shocking statistics, quotes and studies about BPA, Phthalates, and PBDEs (flame retardants). The article starts by describing a biomonitoring project where people's blood and urine are tested for the presence of chemicals. And they found potentially harmful chemicals in all the people they tested, no matter where they lived (even in remote Alaska), in the categories of BPA, Phthalates and PBDEs. What really stopped me in my tracks was this quote, from a cosponsor of the study, Sharyle Patton of the group Commonweal. "Our babies are being born pre-polluted. This is going to be the next big environmental issue after climate change." Let that sink in. Another topic discussed was the ancient Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 where many chemicals were grandfathered in without much testing. "Scientists say we're now awash in a chemical brew of hormone-mimicking compounds that didn...
More About: Body , Environmental , Global , Issue

Betrayed by BPA (Bisphenol-A) containing Nalgene Bottles--
2008-02-25 02:41:00
Ever since I headed off to college, and started hiking out west, I have been drinking from my Nalgene bottle. All through college, schlepping a bottle to class and on countless backpacking and camping trips, my trusted Nalgene was there. I even remember one very cold, long backpacking trip where I filled a Nalgene with hot water, and slept holding it in an attempt to stay warm. Then they came out with the lovely skinny necked bottles. I used those all through grad school and in my first years of teaching. I used them until a few years ago when I first heard about Bisphenol-A in polycarbonate (#7) plastics. When I searched for a new water bottle, I was surprised to learn that our local sports store still only carried the colorful new (although toxic) bottles. And I was seeing toddlers using the smaller, equally snazzy ones everywhere. I thought at least the BPA would only leech out into water at high temperatures. Then I read this post by Enviroblog, citing a study that showe...
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New Report on BPA (Bisphenol-A) in baby products from Z recommends--
2008-02-24 04:22:00
The folks over at Z recommends have done their homework. They have an updated report on which companies are completely BPA (Bisphenol-A)free and company ratings relating to BPA usage in their products, ranging from Excellent, all the way down to Poor. Each company listed as a link to more information, with contact and website links. I think the easiest thing to do it so evaluate your existing baby and kid gear using this report, and then if you buy anything new, buy from the BPA free companies if you can. Here is the link. Thanks to Z recommends for all their hard work help parents keep BPA out of our kids. If you are new to this issue, read this post to learn a little more about BPA in baby bottles and sippy cups. I would definitely use the Z recommends report as a guide for BPA in products, since it has been recently updated. I've written at least 10 articles that relate to BPA in plastic, infant formula, and the effects of it in our bodies. To learn more, visit the label...
More About: Baby , Products , Report

Tell Corporations How you Feel about Recalled Toys and Product Safety (and
2008-02-23 03:37:00
I recently discovered a fantastic non-profit group called Parents for Ethical Marketing. According to their website, PEM is...? is a new grassroots organization of parents and others concerned about corporate marketing practices directed at young children." They have some sobering statistics about the media and raising kids on their homepage, and they have an exciting opportunity for parents to give their feedback to companies who make, sell and market products to our children. Apparently, PEM was contacted by a representative from Vision Conscious Brands, which represents corporations who are interested in having a positive social impact. They want to hear from parents about product safety, toy recalls, and other environmental, social and economic issues we are concerned about. To read the call to action on PEM's website, click here. You'll see questions from Shari Aaron of Vision Conscious Brands, and at the bottom you can write your answers as comments on the blog, or ema...
More About: Safety , Toys , Product , Corporations , Feel

Take Action to Get Harmful Chemicals Out of Toys and Everyday Products for
2008-02-21 04:46:00
The great folks over at Healthytoys.org, that provided us with that helpful database of what toxins are in what toys (check it out here), are petitioning lawmakers to overhaul the ancient Toxic Substances Control Act. This act, when it was created 30 years, ago grandfathered the use of many dangerous chemicals into law. The European Union has already completed extensive research on many of these chemicals and is phasing out or banning usage in their products (hence the "EU compliant" label many organic and natural labeled prodcuts carry). This act desperately needs an update and the chemical industry (along with their lobbyists and cash) will fight this tooth and nail. Add your voice to the petition so lawmakers can hear from concerned parents who want companies and toy makers to stop adding harmful chemicals to products we use everyday. Sign the petition here, and thanks to Healthytoys.org.
More About: Products , Toys , Action , Chemicals

Worried about the Meat Recall in your Child's School?
2008-02-20 04:24:00
After my last post I was thinking about how I would be feeling if I had school age children who might have eaten some of the recalled meat (described first in this post, and then again in yesterday's post below). I do know from reading the articles that thankfully no one has been sickened yet (that we know of) by the possibly tainted meat. I would want to know if in the very least, the meat has been seperated and set aside, out of the risk of consumpution by children. One Vermont paper contacted a few schools to see what they are doing about the recalled meat, and it was encouraging to read that one school had set the recalled meat aside after the investigation by the USDA was launched two weeks ago. All the groups they contacted had taken the meat out of use. If you are a Vermont reader, you can find that story here. If you live in another state and are concerned, I would try reading your local papers to see if they ran a story like ours did. A more simple solution would be...
More About: Meat , Recall , School , Worried

Meat Recall: Update to Unsafe Practices at the Westland/Hallmark Meat Pac
2008-02-19 04:48:00
The unsafe (and cruel) practices discovered by the Humane Society and described in this post have led to the recall of 143 million pounds of beef, much of it sent to school lunch programs. See this article from the Seattle Times.Apparently, the meat was not available to consumers at grocery stores. It was sold to schools through the federal school lunch program and was purchased by some fast food stores, including Jack in the Box and In-N-Out burger. Both of these restaurants said they stopped using the meat earlier this month when they heard of the problems at the meat packing plant. Unfortunately, many news outlets are reporting that much of the meat has already been eaten by children nationwide in the school lunch program, but thankfully there have been no reported illnesses from the consumption of this meat. The beef was recalled by the USDA as a precautionary measure due to the unsafe practices discovered at the plant. Here is an abc news report about the situation, and her...
More About: Meat , Hallmark , Recall , Salmonella , Update

Follow Up to McDonald's Advertising on Report Cards--
2008-02-16 02:40:00
In December I wrote about advertisements for McDonald's appearing on children's report cards in Florida. Read the original post here. I am happy to report that thanks to the Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood's parent campaign, McDonald's stopped this offensive advertising practice. It's easy to get cynical about many of the issues I write about here, that we all are facing everyday. It is inspiring to me to see real people making difference, even with a huge company. Read all about the sucess at the Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood's website, here.
More About: Advertising , Report , Cards

Obesity and Plastic--
2008-02-14 21:33:00
The Boston Globe recently published an article that caught my eye. "Is plastic making us fat?" certainly grabbed my attention. What once what categorized as being a non-issue of over reactive parents seems to be making its way into many mainstream media outlets. Here is a quote from the article about some recent animal studies:"A recent US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study found that about 93 percent of the US population had bisphenol A, a chemical that can be found in canned goods and in hard, clear plastic items such as baby bottles and hiking containers, in their body. A study at the University of Missouri-Columbia showed that mice fed bisphenol A during early development - at lower amounts than what would have resulted in the levels found in most people in the CDC study - become markedly more obese as adults than those that weren't fed the chemical. Tufts University scientists observed similar phenomenon in rats. Exposure "can be critical on the front end of o...
More About: Obesity , Plastic

Take Action to Get BPA (bisphenol-A) out of baby bottles--
2008-02-14 04:16:00
Here is a petition from the Center for Environmental Health and Justice, an open letter to the CEOs of the leading manufacturer of baby bottle makers, asking them to eliminate BPA from their products. Sign it here, and tell manufacturers to stop using BPA and protect our kids from this chemical that has been linked in numerous studies to reproductive system and brain development problems, as well as cancer, diabetes, and early onset puberty.And-- I noticed an ad that I don't agree with on this site. I am trying to block it through Google and do not approve of the product (Grand Theft Auto). My policy is to only allow ads that I approve of and I am sorry that this ad appeared on my site, however briefly.
More About: Baby , Action , Bottles

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