Mattress wrapping doesn’t account for fall in SIDS deaths

An Auckland postal survey of 400 mothers has found wrapping cot mattresses in plastic has not contributed to the continuing decline in SIDS mortality.

Mums who gave birth at National Women’s Hospital in Auckland between January 2005 and March 2005 were asked if they used plastic wrapping over their child’s mattress, and if so did the wrapping completely cover the mattress, in a study by Auckland University’s professor in child health research Ed Mitchell...

Professor Mitchell’s study finds parents who used plastic wrapping on cot mattresses were more likely to be European, sleep their baby supine, not share a bed and be a non-smoker – all factors associated with a reduced risk of SIDS. - Lucy Ratcliffe lratcliffe@nzdoctor.co.nz

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Travelling with Your Baby?

I just came across a Question and Answer from the BabyCenter UK Website which I thought might be useful:

We're going on holiday abroad in a few weeks' time. How can I help my baby adjust to a different time zone?

The BabyCentre Editorial Team answers:
Travelling with a baby or toddler can be tricky, and when it requires adjusting to a different time zone it can be even harder. But you can try some things to make the transition easier.

A few days before you head off on holiday, begin adjusting to the new time zone by moving your baby's sleep times an hour back or ahead each day. If you're flying to America, for example, this means your baby should go to bed a bit later each night and get up later in the morning. If you're going east to Europe, you could try moving your baby's bedtime a bit earlier each evening and wake her up earlier in the morning. You can adjust naptimes in the same way too.

When making travel arrangements, try and keep your baby's usual sleep times in mind. If you can, select a flight that arrives in the late afternoon or early evening and then you can put your baby to bed at her usual (adjusted) bedtime. Overnight flights can work well if the flight is long enough and you think your baby will actually sleep. Once you get on the plane, change your watch to the new time zone and stick to your baby's usual sleep times if you can.

Once you reach your destination, help your baby adjust to the new time zone. Although her internal clock may tell her it's evening, try and keep her busy during the daytime and spend as much time as possible outside. The exposure to sunlight will help adjust your baby's biological clock.

Of course, if your baby is very young, or if your trip is short, you may find it easier simply to keep your baby on her usual "home" time zone. If your baby is very young and sleeping lots during the day it won't make a huge amount of difference to change her sleep times. Toddlers and older children may be better at changing their sleep times than babies. Or if you are travelling east, to continental Europe, for example, you may prefer simply to put your child later to bed in the evening and let her wake up later, which can be no bad thing on holiday!

How to Choose a Crib

We recently found this fun site called "How Stuff Works".

It has all sorts of different topics and we felt the one on how to choose a crib might be useful.

"For the sake of the consumer, a lot of attention has been paid to crib safety. Any crib manufactured after February 1974 must conform to strict safety codes, which were necessitated by a large number of serious crib accidents. If you are considering an older crib, perhaps one that has been in your family, compare its features with the current safety standards"
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A Piece on Fleece

Rarely a week goes by that I don't get some sort of question about fleece fabric. Is fleece safe for my baby? Is fleece breathable? are some of the more common ones. So I thought it was time to give some more detailed information about fleece.

A bit of history on fleece: Polartec fleece was first invented in the early 80's by Malden Mills as an alternative to wool for extreme outdoor adventurers. Fleece has forever changed the way the world dresses for cold weather.

But it's not just for athletes. Fleece has found a great home in baby's and children's apparel. In fact, in 1999 Time Magazine named Polartec fleece "One of the hundred great things of the 20th century."

So what is fleece then? Fleece is basically a 100% polyester fabric with an “altered” fibre structure. This unique way of creating the fibres and the fabric result in the ability of the fabric to transfer moisture through itself (wicking) from the baby’s skin to the outside of the garment.

While cotton is a great fabric for some things, it is also a porous fabric and absorbs moisture holding it against a baby’s skin. This means when cotton fabrics get wet, they will stay wet --and clammy. They become uncomfortable and uncomfortable children become cranky. Further, cotton’s properties hinder the evaporation process which is important for keeping baby’s temperature at an appropriate level. In the winter it will make baby cold, in the summer too hot. Fleece breathes well and comes in a variety of weights appropriate to different seasons and climes—Vancouver rain or Whistler snow! Parents in the know are aware of these advances and use fleece to keep their baby warm and snug.

Fleece’s characteristics –

• Highly breathable – keeps baby dry. No rashes etc Highly breathable to provide comfort in all activities; does not restrict the movement of moisture vapour this idea links to the next benefit)
• Provides warmth without weight – great for long days. In the baby bag etc
• Pill resistant – stays soft and comfortable against baby’s skin even after many washings
• Low maintenance and durable, cleans ‘messes food etc” less laundry time = more play time
• Virtually stain-proof
• A quick-drying fabric
• Machine washable/dryable
• Very SOFT and immediately warm to the touch.

Plant a Tree for Baby

I was reading an article on carbon credits and came across a couple of interesting sites.

Dell has an initiative called "Plant a Tree for Me". In their own words, "Dell now makes it easy to help protect the Earth’s climate by offering anyone in the U.S. and Europe the opportunity to offset the CO2 emissions related to the use of an extended selection of IT products. Participants can also help offset the total one-year carbon impact of the average citizen. "

In Canada, this initiative has partnered with Tree Canada. Another great organization that "creates opportunities for individuals and groups with an interest in planting and caring for trees for non-commercial use. We assess projects from an environmental perspective and offer funding and/or technical assistance. Our planting partners, who have planted over 75 million trees in ten years, are responsible for ongoing care and maintenance."

What an interesting baby gift, instead of the usual!

Baby Toys Made in the USA

With all the recalls happening with baby products made in China, it's time to take a close look at the products our babies are using and playing with. We decided to do a bit of digging to see what locally and ethically-made, baby products we could find to share with you.

Here are a couple we found:

Wooden Toys:
Making handcrafted wooden toys in Vermont, Maple Landmark has been around for 25 years and has been getting rave reviews from their customers for their building blocks, toy trucks and trains, rattles, wooden games and more!

Stuffed Toys:
Another great find from Vermont is this Organic Stuffed Dog sold by Our Green House. Who wouldn't fall in love with this puppy! They also make an elephant, a pony and a bunny and other toys.

If you have any others you would like to recommend, please email us a link!

Truth and Myth of Natural and Organic Fabrics

From our August Newsletter:

There is a growing interest in natural fabrics such as organic cotton, hemp and bamboo, but "approach new fabrics with skeptical enthusiasm"People often forget that just because a fabric is made from natural fibers, doesn't necessarily make it environmentally friendly. We decided it was high time to do a little digging and find out the story behind some of the natural and organic fabrics especially when choosing fabrics for your baby.

Organic Cotton: Conventional cotton uses 25 percent of the world's insecticides and 10 percent of the world's pesticides (more than $2.6 billion worth). Organic cotton eliminates the use of chemical pesticides, fertilizer, defoliants and other toxins. Instead they depend on natural processes to increase yields and disease resistance, partly through enhancing soil quality. Organic production is also the only internationally recognised, independently assessed certification or label for cotton production - OTA

Hemp is an extremely fast growing crop, producing more fiber yield per acre than any other source. Hemp can produce 250% more fiber than cotton using the same amount of land. The amount of land needed for obtaining equal yields of fiber place hemp at an advantage over other fibers. The plant itself is easy to grow in temperate climates, and requires good soil, fertilizer and water, but no pesticides nor herbicides. Moreover, hemp does not exhaust the soil. Hemp plants shed their leaves all through the growing season, adding rich organic matter to the topsoil and helping it retain moisture. - Hemptraders

Bamboo, at first glance, sounds great: it's a fast-growing plant, not reliant on chemicals, and beautifully drapes the human form. Trouble is, bamboo plantations can displace native forests, and the harvesting and fiber processing are often polluting and unregulated. As with soy, corn, and Tencel (which comes from trees), the processing from plant to fabric is energy and resource intensive - TreeHugger