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Like many women, I discovered unknown maternal instincts when I stared for the first time at the ultrasound screen and the blurry shape of the tiny stowaway I was harboring suddenly swam into view. Brand-new baby products called to me from catalogues and showrooms: cribs with their colorful ruffled linens, charming tot-size furniture and shelves. What many mothers don't realize, though, is that permanent-press sheets are treated with carcinogenic formaldehyde and that plywood furnishings can release harmful petrochemical volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air the baby breathes.

Because babies are small and their immune, hormonal and nervous systems are still developing, environmental pollutants affect them more than they might an adult. And if you're pregnant, you should not sand, paint or apply finishes, because exposures to chemicals can affect the fetus.

Following are some gentler products for a baby's or child's room.

Cribs

All new cribs must meet federal Consumer Products Safety Commission guidelines. But these guidelines don't address materials such as composite woods made with formaldehyde, or paints or polyurethanes containing fungicides and other additives that you really don't want a baby chewing on. You might consider a crib such as Pacific Rim Woodworking's ($639.95 at www.abundantearth.com), made from solid maple and either left unfinished or finished with pure, raw tung and linseed oils. The crib can be converted to a toddler bed. For other furniture and retailers, see pacificrimwoodworking.com. For used baby furniture, see www.urbanbaby.com and www.craigslist.com.

Mattresses and Bedding

Most conventional mattresses are made from polyurethane foam, nylon, polyester and vinyl—all derived from petroleum—and are treated with anti-microbial and fire-, wetness- and stain-retarding chemicals, including polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PDBEs). These chemicals, which Europe has already banned two varieties of, accumulate in breast milk and in fat, and have been shown to inhibit brain development in animals. As alternatives, there are crib mattresses made with organic cotton, wool padding and natural rubber and without chemical treatments that can irritate skin or offgas into the air. Natural mattresses cost between $200 and $600, from www.nontoxic.com (800-968-9355), www.abundantearth.com(888-513-2784) and www.ecochoices.com (702-543-7003).

The most common cause of eczema rashes are food allergies, often to something a breast-feeding mother has eaten, according to Harvey Karp, M.D., author of The Happiest Toddler on the Block ($13.95, Bantam, 2004). But "the number-two cause is irritation" from soaps, laundry detergent or chemical treatments on bedding—especially sheets, which touch the skin directly, Dr. Karp says. Organic mattress pads and sheets are sold by Lifekind Products (www.lifekind.com, 800-284-4983).

If you do buy a conventional (and less expensive) mattress, let it air out as much as possible before the baby arrives. A mattress cover made of untreated cotton flannel can provide a comfy barrier between baby and any offgassing chemicals, while protecting against minor leaks. A wool pad, naturally water-resistant, beneath the sheet provides an excellent second line of defense. The American SIDS Institute recommends that parents put nothing (including comforters, blankets and top sheets) in a crib besides the baby and the clothes she's wearing.