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When you're expecting, it's easy to get caught up in creating the perfect nursery for baby—whether it's finding an accent rug in the perfect shade of baby blue, choosing between a Contemporary or Colonial style crib, or finishing it all off by deciding whether baby will be more into Pooh Bear or alphabet letters where bedding is concerned. But before you apply that lovely apple blossom hue to the walls, read on to find out more about choosing paint, flooring, furniture, and even cleaning products that will be safe for baby and the environment.

Paint the baby's room green

Paint contains volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are solvents in paint, such as benzene, styrene, and formaldehyde that contribute to ground level ozone. For a green alternative, consider not painting your baby’s room, and decorate with wall decals or pictures. If painting is a must, use low-VOC or zero VOC paints.

If you're renovating an old home, beware of lead. The paint in homes built before 1978 may contain this dangerous substance, which builds up in our environment and poses health threats to humans and animals. Test for lead paint before remodeling an older home, and if lead is present, contact the National Lead Information Center Hotline to learn how to proceed in a safe way.

Don't sweep your eco-consciousness under the rug

Synthetic carpeting is treated with a variety of environmentally threatening chemicals. Bare floors contain fewer chemicals, as do rugs made from natural fibers such as sisal, jute, wool, coir, or organic cotton. Alternatively, true linoleum can be used for flooring and is made of rapidly renewable materials all-natural materials: sawdust, linseed oils, pigments and a jute backing, rather than dangerous chemicals. Cork can also be used as a green alternative, as it is made from the materials left over after bottle corks are made, and it is harvested in a sustainable way.

An eco-sweet baby bedroom suite

Wooden furniture, such as cribs, high chairs, toy chests, rocking chairs, and changing tables, is often made from mahogany and other tropical hardwoods, which are harvested by clear cutting environmentally sensitive areas. The deforestation this causes leads to erosion, run-off pollution in waterways and global warming. Furniture made from wood that is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) as coming from sustainably managed forests is available as a green alternative, as is furniture made from bamboo, which doesn't contribute to deforestation and is harvested and processed by a low energy process that creates little to no emissions. Furniture purchased secondhand from resale stores, yard sales and flea markets will also not contribute to further deforestation.

That's the power of eco-friendly cleaners, baby

Conventional household cleaners often contain chemical cleaning agents like alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs), which do not easily break down in sewage treatment after they are washed down the drain. About half a million tons of APEs are produced annually for a variety of products, including paints, detergents, personal care products, and pesticides. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified APEs as endocrine disruptors, which can affect the reproductive systems of birds and mammals and disrupt the ability of some fish to reproduce. Measurable levels of APEs have been found in some lakes and streams.

In addition, chemical household cleaners are responsible for many poisonings. According to the National Capital Poison Center, 89 percent of all poison exposures occur in the home, and most poisonings involve everyday household items such as cleaning supplies, medicines, cosmetics, and personal care items.

Related health issues

Many common household products—from paint to furniture to bedding—contain toxic chemicals that can harm a developing baby. Because a baby’s body is so small, and therefore less able to process chemicals, and their immune, hormonal, and nervous systems are still developing, they are especially sensitive to environmental toxins. The Consumer Product Safety Commission connects 150 chemicals commonly found in our homes to allergies, birth defects, cancer and psychological disorders. Indoor air quality is of particular concern for newborns, who spend up to 95 percent of their time inside.

In paint, some VOCs are carcinogenic and can lead to health issues like headaches and can harm the developing brain of a child. Lead is a highly potent neurotoxin that can cause lowered IQ, learning disabilities, and behavioral problems. Synthetic-carpeting systems, and even most wool ones, are treated with stainproofing chemicals, mothproofing pesticides and more, which the EPA has found to contain toluene and xylene, both neurotoxic substances, and benzene, a known carcinogen. Cribs made from composite woods also contain formaldehyde, and the paints and polyurethanes on some cribs may contain fungicides and other additives.

Common household cleaners can contain formaldehyde, phenol, benzene, and toluene—all of which have been linked as cancer-causing substances and are toxic to the immune system. Babies are more susceptible to these toxins because their bodies do not excrete contaminants the same ways that adults do, making the poisons more available. Parents sometimes opt to have an air purifier in their baby's room, which helps remove harmful chemicals and toxins, including those in conventional household cleaning supplies, from the air.

Glossary

• volatile organic compounds (VOCs): Organic solvents that easily evaporate into the air. VOCs are emitted by thousands of products including paints, cleaning supplies, pesticides, building materials and furnishings and they may cause immediate and long-term health problems.
• ground-level ozone: The main component of smog, ground-level ozone is formed when volatile organic compounds (VOCs) react chemically with nitrogen oxides (NOx) when it is sunny and hot outside. Many urban areas have high levels of this summertime pollutant but rural areas can have increased ozone levels too as wind can carry ground-level ozone hundreds of miles from where it originates.
• phthalates: Phthalates are additives that are widely used in plastics and other materials, mainly to make them soft and flexible. They have applications in industry, in medicine and in consumer products. There is public concern about phthalates because of their widespread use and occurrence in the environment.Phthalates can damage the liver, kidneys, lungs, and reproductive system, particularly the developing testes, according to animal studies.

External links

• Building For Health Materials Center - Bamboo Chairs
• Citizens Campaign for the Environment - Cintas: A Campaign for Clean Water & Corporate Responsibility
• Consumer Product Safety Commission
• Forest Stewardship Council
• Friends of the Earth (UK) - An Environmental Assessment of Alkylphenol Ethoxylates and Alkylphenols
• The Green Guide - Better Basics for Your Baby's Room
• Low Impact Living - Green Childrens' Rooms
• National Lead Information Center
• National Capital Poison Center - Poison Exposures in the United States
• Worldwatch Institute - The Good Stuff?