I have written about flame retardants in sleepwear before, back in 2008. I'm very much concerned about the chemicals used to create flame retardancy and how they accumulate in the body and our environment. According to this great post from Jennifer at the Smart Mama, and posted on 5 Minutes for Mom:
"Chemicals used on pajamas or pajama fabrics include chlorinated and brominated flame retardants, inorganic flame retardants such as antimony oxides, and phosphate-based compounds. Chlorinated and brominated flame retardants are contaminating the environment and accumulating in the human body. For example, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have been linked to doing damage to the nervous and reproductive systems and impairing thyroid function. North Americans have the highest body burden of PBDEs in the world."
So, it makes sense to avoid them. But what do you look for? This label, specifically where it says, "Wear Snug Fitting: Not Flame Resistant":
My mom has found flame retardant free pajamas at Target. These are great, but I am happy to have found more choices listed below, including several that are organic.
1. New Jammies are on sale NOW at Lullaby Organics. These are made from 100 percent organic cotton and made with eco-friendly dyes. Our friend Kathy at the Safe Mama approved them too. A good bet! I just ordered a pair and will let you know what I think soon. They also have Frugi organic cotton pjs on sale as well.
Do you avoid flame retardants in kid's pajamas? What kind do you buy and like?
2. Hanna's Anderson has some super cute designs for their organic cotton long john pajamas. Right now the shorties are on sale.
3. LLBean and Land's End have some pjs that are snug fitting (look for that wording the the description) so they don't have flame retardants. But you can't just order any pajamas here without closely scrutinizing the description, like the other two sites.
It's worth mentioning that some experts say the flame retardancy is rated for up to 50 washes. So second hand clothing and hand me downs have considerably less, or no, flame retardant chemicals. Some companies are beginning to make fabrics that are flame retardant. The flame retardancy is actually in the fabric itself. After researching this a bit, I found that the fabric contains some questionable chemicals. It seems that looking for 100 percent cotton is the safest bet.
It's worth mentioning that some experts say the flame retardancy is rated for up to 50 washes. So second hand clothing and hand me downs have considerably less, or no, flame retardant chemicals. Some companies are beginning to make fabrics that are flame retardant. The flame retardancy is actually in the fabric itself. After researching this a bit, I found that the fabric contains some questionable chemicals. It seems that looking for 100 percent cotton is the safest bet.
Do you avoid flame retardants in kid's pajamas? What kind do you buy and like?
