Are Organic Crib Mattresses Better?

The main problem with a non organic baby mattress is the material used in them during the manufacturing process. Cotton as a crop is heavily sprayed with pesticides and then cotton material is treated with chemicals to finish it. The mattresses are then treated with flame retardant - which sounds good in theory - but is a serious health hazard. These things combined can very detrimental to babies as they are just more susceptible to the harmful fumes and toxins released by these chemicals. The best natural fire retardant used in the manufacture of an organic crib mattress is wool. Organic wool comes from sheep that are raised organically meaning the food and grass they eat is free of pesticides and chemicals.

While an organic crib mattress is made with either a natural rubber core or innersprings and covered with organic cotton and wool, a regular crib mattress generally is composed of a foam core with vinyl covering. Studies have shown that mice on this mattress have a reduction of 26% of their airflow.

A regular crib mattress containing materials that emit toxic fumes can cause irritation to the nose, throat, eyes and can cause asthma like reactions or difficulty with breathing. This could be a major factor in SIDS (Sudden Infant Death). Many studies have confirmed the link between SIDS and chemicals used in the the manufacture of mattresses but the crib industry is very large and keeps promoting cheap synthetic mattresses. Many companies promote their mattresses as being organic but use fire-retardants on the exterior which are chemical based.

Another contributor of SIDS related deaths is fungus that grows on the mattress. Fungus is created when urine or saliva is absorbed into the mattress covering. Fungus can create toxic fumes that hover over the baby. The best way to prevent these toxic fumes is to purchase mattresses that have a natural moisture resistant outer covering. The best moisture resistant covering is natural wool found in an organic crib mattress. While wool is moisture resistant, it is also a natural fire retardant.