Issues > March/April 2007 (#119) > Green Room to Grow In

Green Room to Grow In

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Bye-Bye Plastics (Almost)

The soft PVC (#3 vinyl) plastic used in many "teething" toys, as well as in flooring, shower curtains and wall coverings, contains phthalates, chemicals that evaporate into the air, bind with household dust and have been implicated in children's asthma. Phthalates are also linked to reproductive and developmental harm—and, most recently, worsening of allergic skin conditions—in animals and some humans. Polycarbonate (#7) plastic, used in clear baby bottles, contains a chemical known as bisphenol-A (BPA), which behaves like estrogen in the body and has been shown to migrate from worn or heated bottles into the liquids they contain. Look for baby bottles made of tempered glass or less toxic, opaque plastic (#4 or #5).

In practice, of course, parenting is a continual balancing act. Although she has banned most plastics from her baby's room, Deirdre would not dream of parting with her mom's gift, "A super tacky plastic mobile with a really pure Andean pan flute soundtrack." A green lifestyle, in other words, need not be perfect. So try not to worry too much. "As a grandparent, I've learned that kids have a way of turning out fine," Landrigan says.

Resources

Renee Rizzuto Design sources natural latex, wool, organic cotton & hemp furniture, rugs; www.reneerizzuto.com, 212-253-6370

ECO of New York; www.environproducts.com, 800-238-5008

Columbia University Center for Children's Environmental Health, mailman.hs.columbia.edu/ccceh/index.html

The Center for Children's Health and the Environment, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, www.childenvironment.org

Recommended Reading
(see thegreenguide.com/books)

The Complete Organic Pregnancy by Deirdre Dolan and Alexandra Zissu (HarperCollins, 2006, $14.95)

The Peaceful Nursery: Preparing a Home for Your Baby with Feng Shui by Laura Forbes Carlin and Alison Forbes (Delta, 2006, $15)

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