Baby clothes – fabrics your baby should avoid

Choose baby clothes carefully

Many parents tend to go overboard when it comes to dressing their little darlings, and with current erratic and sometimes severe weather conditions, this can be an even more challenging quest to pull off. Weather conditions is not the only element that should be taken into account when choosing your baby’s clothes, as today there are many fabrics used to make baby clothes that have the potential of being hazardous to your baby’s health. Here are just some of the more common elements to ensure are not present in the choice of clothing for your baby.

Teflon

Most clothing that has the "no iron" needed on the labels would most likely have this chemical (Teflon) used as part of the process to produce clothing that is longer lasting. It would be a good idea to check labels before you buy clothing for your baby, and avoid any line of clothing that has this particular notation.

Nylon and Polyester

Nylon and Polyester are usually made from petrochemical base additives. These are not good for the environment and certainly cannot be good, in such close contact with your baby’s skin on a regular basis.

Rayon

Although made from wood pulp, which would be considered ideal for its natural base, the fact that the raw material form has to be chemically treated before it is suitable for use makes it a danger. Your baby’s skin is delicate, thus exposing it to potentially dangerous chemicals is not a good idea on any level.

Formaldehyde gas

Most clothing and fabrics that have gone through a process that treats it to ensure it is flame-retardant, such as children’s pajamas and beddings, could emit levels of formaldehyde gas. Even in the tiniest amounts, this will eventually affect your baby negatively.

Dye fixatives

It has been found that certain processes that use dye fixatives come from sources that are high in heavy metals and could possibly be treated in polluted water systems. Although bright colors are an integral part of any baby’s wear, you should exercise some care when choosing colored clothing. Looking at labels to ensure the source is form a trustworthy, controlled and well-monitored environment would help to lessen the probability of the clothing line’s dubious processing styles.

Formaldehyde to stop shrinking

To stop material from shrinking, a formaldehyde product is usually included in the processing stage, which eventually allows this element to be trapped into the material through the heating process. Therefore, clothing labeled shrink proof, should also be avoided.

Take care in your choices

The above information is not meant to make you job as a parent even more challenging but it is simply a rough guide to follow when making clothing choices for your baby. Trying to find natural fibers may be a little difficult and a little more costly, but in the end, you will be able to sleep easier knowing you did try to use clothes, that were the least likely to have negative effects on your baby. Do not be too obsessive, just exercise a little more care in your choices.

Written by

theAsianparent

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