The following text is an excerpt from Raising Baby Green: The Earth-Friendly Guide to Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Baby Care, by Dr. Alan Greene.

Shortly after your labor and delivery, the mixed anxiety and joy of this life experience will be in your past, and it will be time to look forward to the future — to the time when your baby will live and grow in the protective environment that you will create in your home.

As you did when choosing an ob/gyn, you want to find a pediatrician who is top-notch medically. How much better if he or she is also on the journey to an environmentally sustainable perspective on pediatrics!

This may be the first time you have selected a pediatrician; if you already have children, you may have an established relationship with their pediatrician — or you may have inherited a treasured family doc from when you were a child. In any case, here are five representative questions you may want to ask politely to gauge physicians’ thoughts on things green:

1. What advice do you give to new parents about introducing solid foods?
If their first suggestion is to begin with processed white rice flour cereal or processed conventional jarred foods, they may still be working from a twentieth-century industrial mind-set. To learn more, continue the conversation by asking for their advice about introducing whole grains, fresh tastes, or organic foods. Green pediatricians are often conscious of nutrition and care about establishing the nutritional habits of today’s babies in ways that are better than those of previous generations.

2. How do you recommend treating ear infections?
If they say that all ear infections should be treated with antibiotics, they may be behind the times. The Academy of Pediatrics now teaches that, in many situations, ear infections will heal better on their own, without antibiotics (but pain relief should be given for the ear pain). The first steps toward sustainability that pediatricians often make in their practices are to reduce the unnecessary use of antibiotics.

3. How do you recommend treating eczema in babies?
If their first response is to use steroids or prescription drugs, they may not yet be thinking green. Often, a better first approach is to reduce exposure to eczema triggers or to gently moisturize the skin. Green-oriented physicians are more likely to treat the cause rather than just the symptoms and will opt for the gentlest treatment possible.

4. What kind of baby shampoo do you recommend?
If they mention a conventional brand, they may not yet be thinking about sustainable and pure products. If they mention any of a number of greener options, such as Baby Avalon Organics, Burt’s Bees, or Tom’s of Maine, that’s a good sign that they are at least aware of a variety of greener options for common baby products.

5. Do you buy organic foods for your own family?
The answers to these types of questions will help you get a sense of their own green lifestyle outside the practice of medicine. Often physicians will start thinking about green issues for their own lives before they start integrating them into their practices. If they have made even small steps in this regard, they may be more supportive of your efforts to raise your baby green.

In addition to conversations with prospective pediatricians, you can also get some insight into the green potential of a medical practice by making an office visit simply to observe. What kind of lighting is used? (Incandescent bulbs are very non-green.) What kinds of cleaners are used? (A strong scent of bleach or ammonia is the tip-off that green cleansers are not yet in use.) Are there any babies in the waiting room who are wearing cloth or hybrid diapers? (This is a good sign that other parents with environmental concerns have chosen this doctor.)

And from the comfort of your home, you can learn a lot about some physicians and their practices by looking at their Websites — many pediatricians have them now, but not all — and by talking to other parents.

About Dr. Greene
Dr. Greene is the author of Raising Baby Green, founder of DrGreene.com, chief medical officer of A.D.A.M., chair of the Organic Center, a member of the advisory board of Healthy Child Healthy World and a clinical professor of pediatrics at Stanford University’s Packard Children’s Hospital.

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For parents who seek a little less-than-traditional approach to decorating, you’re about to meet some cribs that are as unique as you are. Contemporary, streamlined design is all the rage in nursery decor these days, and these modern nursery furnishings delivers in a big – um, make that minimalist – way.

With solid construction and subtle color, the  Oeuf Sparrow Crib is the centerpiece of the  Sparrow Nursery. Expertly crafted in Europe from solid birch, the Oeuf Sparrow Crib is easy to assemble and as safe as can be. A simple conversion kit is available to convert the crib into a toddler bed as your baby grows.  Kristen from Philadelphia just purchased this crib for her eight month old after an extensive search. “We wanted something contemporary, safe and eco-friendly and I am so happy with our choice. I love the design and it was fairly easy to assemble. We chose this crib not just because it is beautiful but also because of it’s green construction–low VOC paints, ecologically harvested wood, etc. We didn’t want a crib that was made of cheap wood in China, with lead paint, like most of the ones we found in the major baby chains.”

The Mercer Modern Crib is a beautifully chic crib with an unassuming form, but behind the Mercer Crib deceptively simple design hides 3-in-1 convertibility that guarantees years of use. Designed to grow with your child, the Mercer Modern Crib can convert into a toddler bed using the included guard rail and ultimately into a day bed for preschool years and beyond. Made of solid New Zealand pine, the Mercer Modern Crib features static sides with no moving parts or unsightly hardware and comes in your choice of two durable non-toxic finishes.  Jodi from New York, NY put the Mercer Crib together herself, and as she says “I’m not one to normally assemble things. The drawer on the bottom is great and slides smoothly. But my favorite part of the crib is the look — it’s got such clean, modern lines and it’s not huge like a lot of cribs. I love this crib and wish I would have gotten one for my first son.”

Welcome home baby with the Sahara Crib from  Argington . This eye-catching piece will become the focal point of your nursery with its sleek, modern look. The clean lines, beautiful colors, and incredible functionality of the Sahara Crib offer a chic simplicity that easily suits any style. Sahara Crib adheres to green design: a sustainable way to produce their furniture in efforts to minimize environmental impact.  Jenn from Nashville loves the Sahara Crib. “It is practical, simple design with a contemporary edge. It is also very solid and simple to set up and use. It is exactly what we were looking for.

ducduc’s austin crib is handmade from 100% locally sourced hardwood. It has a timeless design that satisfies the need to customize your child’s nursery. With four wood finishes to choose from you can easily create the look you want.  ducduc has thoughtfully handmade their nursery furniture with sustainable wood sourced close to their New England factory. The crib has non-toxic finishes and adhesives, and contains no particle board or MDF, both of which run the risk of containing formaldehyde.  Amy from New Mexico raves about the austin crib. “In looking for a stylish, nontoxic conversion crib, this one was the best fit. Sleek lines, beautiful color and nontoxic finish. I love the drawer for extra storage at the bottom. The toddler conversion rail is included in the price, which is a definite plus.”

One of the most popular Sorelle cribs is the sleek City Lights Commuter Crib. This two-toned beauty boasts functionality and sophistication. As baby grows up, you can get the most out of this crib by using the conversion rail (not included) to easily turn it into a toddler bed. The City Lights Commuter Crib is not only stylish, but also eco-friendly! These products are manufactured with a water-based paint, odorless glue, low levels of formaldehyde and Sorelle participates in a reforestation program.  Elena from South Carolina thinks the City Lights Commuter Crib was a beautiful addition to her modern nursery. “We got it in less than three  weeks although they said it would take over a month to ship. It was easy to put together in about 30 minutes. It’s a very sturdy crib and was money well spent.

The eco-friendly Roh Crib from Spot on Square is unabashedly modern, presenting the warm hues of locally sourced walnut with panels of durable, half-inch, clear acrylic (BPA and Phthalate-free, of course) to give baby a “room with a view.” It is truly a piece that is as beautiful as it is functional. Spot on Square is on a mission to bring eco-conscious, quality furniture to modern families while making sure above all that these pieces uphold the best in design quality. The brand is centered on three pillars that serve as a framework; sustainability, safety and purity in design. They believe that children should be surrounded by simple, eco-conscious, quality products that promote an appreciation for design.  Brandi from Baton Rouge was looking for an eco-friendly crib like the Roh. “It looks great, was easy to assemble, and feels very sturdy. The nontoxic finish sets it above other standard cribs. Lastly, the drawer is an added bonus. If you want clean lines and versatile colors, this is the crib for you!”

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Today is the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. As smart moms and dads, we know that you make environmentally friendly choices everyday. From choosing to breastfeed to recycling, your choices are making a difference! If green your baby’s color, then you and your baby are doing your part to make the world a better place.

Bringing up baby ‘au natural’ in today’s world requires parents to make conscious decisions about baby products and, at times, to make guesses about the impact of those decisions on baby’s health and the environment. But making these decisions isn’t always easy–nor do the answers always come naturally. To help parents who choose natural parenting and ‘green’ lifestyles make informed decisions, Baby Lifestyles has taken out the green guesswork by showcasing a wide range of natural, organic, and eco-friendly products that we believe in enough to put in the hands (and mouths!) of our own children. After all, new parents already have enough to worry about!

Orbit Baby Toddler Car Seat by Orbit Baby	Boon Oval Animal Bag by Boon	Skip Hop Playspot Playmat by Skip Hop
Orbit Toddler Stroller Seat G2 by Orbit Baby	Stokke Tripp Trapp – Classic Collection by Stokke	ERGO Baby Carrier by ERGO Baby
Fisher Price Zen Infant Seat by Fisher-Price	Snoogle Original by Leachco	Fold ‘N Carry Floppy Seat by Floppy Seat
Keekaroo Karoo Stroller by Keekaroo	Arm’s Reach Mini Co-Sleeper Bassinet by Arm’s Reach	Maxi-Cosi Mico Infant Car Seat by Maxi-Cosi
Snuza Halo Baby Movement Monitor by Snuza	Naturepedic Organic Changing Table Pad – Contoured by Naturepedic Mattress	Peg Perego Primo Viaggio SIP 30/30 Car Seat by Peg Perego
Skip Hop Funky Farm Activity Mat by Skip Hop	Modo 5 Drawer Dresser by Babyletto	Graco Bumper Jumper – Little Jungle by Graco
Maclaren Twin Triumph Stroller by Maclaren	Contours Classique 3-in-1 Bassinet by Contours by Kolcraft	WeeGo Glass Bottle Starter Kit by Lifefactory
bloom fresco High Chair by bloom	Naturepedic No-Compromise Organic Crib Mattress – Classic 252 by Naturepedic Mattress	Mercer Modern Crib by Babyletto
STOKKE SLEEPI Waterproof Sheet by Stokke	Cotton Tale Lizzie 4 Piece Set by Cotton Tale Designs	Bob Revolution 12″ AW Stroller by BOB Gear Strollers
Organic Cotton Diapering Kit – Stage 1 by Bummis	Skip Hop Via Backpack Diaper Bag by Skip Hop	Bato Bath Tub by Hoppop
Arm’s Reach Original Co-Sleeper Bassinet by Arm’s Reach	Maclaren Quest Mod Stroller by Maclaren	Bright Starts Baby’s PlayPlace by Bright Starts
Orbit Bassinet Cradle 2009 by Orbit Baby	Skip Hop Dash Deluxe Diaper Bag by Skip Hop	Arm’s Reach Beautiful Dreamer Cocoon by Arm’s Reach
bumGenius Flip Day Pack w/ Organic Cotton Insert by bumGenius	Tweeters Mobile by North American Bear	Combi Coccoro Convertible Car Seat by Combi
Stokke Table Top by Stokke	Clek Oobr Booster Seat by Clek Boosters	PeaPod Plus Travel Bed-Red by KidCo
Graco imonitor Video Baby Monitor w/ Vibration by Graco	pottyPOD by Prince Lionheart	Baby Jogger City Micro Double Stroller by Baby Jogger
Trend Lab Versailles Black & White 4 Piece Crib Bedding Set by Trend Lab Baby	Valco Baby Tri Mode EX Twin Stroller by Valco Baby	Keekaroo Height Right High Chair w/Infant Insert & Wooden Tray by Keekaroo
Skip Hop Via Messenger Diaper Bag by Skip Hop	Orbit Bassinet Cradle G2 by Orbit Baby	STOKKE CARE Changing Table by Stokke
Sweet Slumber White Noise Machine by Graco	Deluxe Snuggle Nest by Baby Delight	nano bloom urban High Chair by bloom
Banana Fish Love Bird Mobile by Banana Fish	Hushamok Dream Hammock Set by Hushamok	Sdraietta Melodia Bouncer by Peg Perego
BabySitter Balance Air by Baby Bjorn	Picci Crystal 4 Piece Set by Picci	Skip Hop Studio Diaper Tote by Skip Hop

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thinkbaby’s products address the growing concern over toxic chemicals leaching from plastic baby products. Free of Bisphenol-A, phthalates and lead, their bottles feature a patented venting system that helps reduce colic. Plus, all their packaging is made with recycled materials so you can feel good about purchasing them!

Features: Worry Free Transport: Travel cap minimizes spillage Reduction of Colic: Patented venting system reduces incidence of gas and spit up. Venting systems have also been shown to reduce the risk of middle ear infections Extra Soft Nipples: High grade silicone, wont collapse Dishwasher Safe: Top rack recommended Includes: Travel Caps Stage I (Slow Flow) Nipples Two bottles per pack

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Babies spend up to 70% of their early life sleeping and playing on a crib mattress. Your baby’s health and safety should not be negotiable. Imagine your little one snoozing on this superior mattress, safely surrounded by only things good to the environment. This is the ultimate choice when you love both your baby and your planet! Now your baby can enjoy the same great organic comfort as their Naturepedic crib mattress in their bassinet!

The Naturepedic Organic Cotton Bassinet Mattress Oval is perfect for those important first months of your Baby’s life. Made totally of pure, organic materials, this beautiful oval mattress offers firm support needed for good sleeping posture paired with the cloud-like softness of wholesome cotton filling. Completely hypoallergenic, you can rest assured that this mattress contains no chemicals or toxic materials.

Tammy from Oregon bought the Naturepedic Organic Cotton Bassinet Mattress for a bassinet that had been in her family for more than 50 years. “It needed a new mattress!” she exclaimed. And as for the mattress, “It is exactly what I hoped for. No plastic. No smells. Soft waterproof outerlayer. Made very well. And it fits the bassinet almost perfectly. I love that it is organic, so no need to worry about what chemicals your baby is inhaling.”

Crib mattresses typically use materials such as vinyl/PVC and polyurethane foam which release questionable chemicals over time. These materials and chemicals have been eliminated in the No-Compromise Baby Mattress. A crib mattress made with natural or organic cotton promotes a healthy and more chemical-free crib environment.

The Naturepedic Organic Cotton Oval Bassinet Pad features organic and healthy materials for your baby’s safety and comfort. It combines U.S. grown certified organic cotton filling with a premium waterproof organic cotton cover so pure that it meets food contact standards. Also features Air-Core, a non-toxic environmentally friendly support layer made from food-grade polyethylene. Exclusive non-toxic fire protection meets and exceeds all federal and state flammability standards.

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The Cariboo Folding Changing Table is perfect for parents with little room to spare. Stylish and functional at the same time, this lightweight changer folds flat for easy storage or travel. Simply fold it up and you can easily move this changing table from room to room. This is also a great second changing table for multi-level living spaces! It’s especially ideal for grandparents to have on hand for weekend visits and sleepovers

Convenient and easy to clean, the zip off changing table fabric is machine washable or easy care and cleaning. The toweling changing surface liner is also machine washable. An open shelf below and convenient storage pockets provide plenty of room for diapers, wipes and all your baby changing needs.

The Folding Changing Table is eco-friendly, made from sustainable New Zealand Radiata wood. The satin finish is lead-free and all materials are non-toxic. The Changing Table is also JPMA/ASTM safety certified. In addition, the hammock-like cloth changing surface helps support the child for easy changing. The fabric changing surface contains pockets for convenient storage zips off easily and is machine washable. The Folding Changing Table also comes with one machine washable liner.

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By Lauren Halperin, Editorial Director
After a week of hanging out at the Las Vegas Convention Center for the ABC Kids Trade Show, one thing is certain, there are a lot of amazing manufacturers of baby products. For four days, I was utterly amazed at new and innovative ways to make baby’s life better, more stylish, and make a new parent’s life easier. From beautiful bedding and cribs with craftsmanship to dirty diaper solutions and stylish clothes, there’s no shortage of adorable and inventive products for babies and mothers. After walking aisles of more than 1,000 products, here are ten standout products and trends that will soon be available in the Baby Lifestyles shop and stores around the country.

True Fashion Style Hits Diaper Bags

For years, a diaper bag was nothing more than a vessel for a mother to pile her on-the-go baby items into. They evolved over time to accomodate everything a traveling parent would need: changing pads became standard, places for bottles, and zippered pockets became standard. Many brands of diaper bags have shied away from basic black or baby friendly pastels in favor of prettier patterns and ‘trendy’ colors, like the
latest collection from Petunia Pickle Bottom, Stork Sak and Timi and Leslie.

But after what I saw at Kalencom, diaper bags have finally become the hot fashion accessories they always could have been. Like all Kalencom bags, the Ozz Silver Drops diaper bag ($80) is an eco-friendly (no AZO or Phthalates). But you don’t need to have a baby to appreciate this dazzling bag. As a diaper bag, it comes the usual suspects of accessories (a matching changing pad, insulated bottle bag and zip pouch for dirty duds are included), but it might be the first diaper bag I’ve ever seen that even college kids would pick up as a purse. When you see this glittery bag, new moms and non moms will want to strut around the mall with it sparkling on their shoulder.

Expansions of Brands We Already Love

What’s better than having a product you’ve come to know and trust as fabulous and reliable? It’s when it branches out into new avenues and makes them amazing too! Caden Lane was already known for their trend setting nursery bedding and coordinating accessories, so it was very exciting to see they’ve launched a sister program called Pitty Shants. A funky layette line with style designed by Katy Mimari, these layette clothes are loaded with the cuddly softeness you expect for newborns along with the playful style you expect from Caden Lane.

Boppy has become synonomous with breastfeeding. As makers of the award-winning Boppy Feeding and Infant Support Pillow and covers, they have been developing products to meet the needs of moms since 1990. Building off their success, the Boppy Company is introducing an organic line of nursery bedding. “Our bedding gives consumers the flexibility to pick the pieces they want and skip those they don’t as well as choose a slipcover from a variety of options to create a beautiful nursery for their first child or update it for their second one,” said CEO, Nancy Barley. “It’s a whole new way to think about crib bedding and we are excited to share it with our consumers.

Click here to continue on to Breast Milk Freezing Systems and Motorized MamaRoo Baby Swings

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Tuck your baby into luxurious bedding made from cotton grown without chemicals and pesticides! Whispering Grass Eyes of the World Organic Crib Bedding Set from Cotton Monkey is crafted to protect your baby’s soft and beautiful skin. And it looks beautiful and colorful for your baby boy’s nursery doing it!

This collection is made from 100% certified organic cotton fabric and batting that is not treated with any formaldehyde or chlorine bleach. The Cotton Monkey prints and colors are fun and cheerful, dyed/printed with non-toxic, fiber reactive, water based pigments and dyes.

It features and organic throw blanket with satin on the front and plush velour on the back. An organic bumper cover is made of woold and is antimicrobial and resistant to dust mites. An organic fitted crib sheet is available in grass print colors as well.

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You’ll love putting your little one down for a nap in this charming baby crib. The Wendy Crib from PALI features lovely detailing, simple styles, and solid pine wood construction in an array of warm finishes. And with the optional Toddler and Universal Rails, you can ensure that your child has a comfortable bed to sleep in forever!

Pali uses non toxic, lead-free water-based paints, only water-based glues, recycled cardboard for their packaging and techniques that minimize solvent emissions and surpass American standards. They also recycle all materials that cannot be reused. Therefore, Pali’s commitment to a greener environment is a commitment to each and every one of their customers and the well-being of future generations.

Features:
-Raddiata pine construction.
-Available in Distressed White, Distressed Amber, and Chocolate finishes.
-Option to include Universal Rail Set to convert crib to full bed.
-Option to include Toddler Rail to make crib accessible for young toddlers.
-Option to include Sorrento or Tuscany Double-Sided Crib Mattress for infants and toddlers. Wendy Crib Assembly Instructions Wendy Toddler Rail Conversion Instructions Pali’s Commitment to a Greener

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Nicole Richie and Joel Madden have reportedly furnished their unborn kid’s nursery in the most natural way possible to turn it to a green haven. The couple wants to build an eco-friendly atmosphere for their second baby in their Los Angeles home. Nicole apparently ensured that maximum objects used in the furnishing were naturally derived.

Read the rest at Luxury Nursery.

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As more and more knowledge is uncovered about the chemical bisphenol-A, more legislatures are taking steps to make sure this harmful substance is kept away from babies and children. The Chicago City Council has officially banned the substance from food and beverage containers intended for use by children under three years old. The Connecticut state legislature followed Chicago’s lead by approving legislation banning the component from plastic containers used by children and babies.

The chemical known as BPA, widely used in baby bottles, has never been shown to endanger human health, but it has affected laboratory rats fed extremely high doses. It’s intended use is to strengthen plastic. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration reports BPA is safe for current uses in products aimed at children and adults. The chemical’s opponents, however, contend children and infants might experience health harms if enough BPA were to leach out of food and beverage containers.

We are now learning that BPA is widely found in baby food sold in glass jars in Canada. According to a survey conducted by Health Canada, the compound has been found in more than 80% of samples. “The results of this survey clearly indicate that exposure to BPA through the consumption of jarred baby food products would be extremely low” with the amounts “not expected to pose a health risk to the consumer,” Health Canada officials said.

On June 2, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry A. Waxman (D-CA) and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Bart Stupak (D-MI) sent a letter to FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg requesting yet another investigation of BPA. “Last month, a study by the Harvard School of Public Health found that BPA concentrations increased by 69% in the urine of subjects who drank from plastic bottles containing BPA,” wrote Waxman and Stupak.

In the Harvard study, reported in Environmental Health Perspectives, 77 Harvard students spent a week drinking fluids primarily from polycarbonate bottles made with BPA. At the end of the week their urine contained 69 percent more BPA than the urine of subjects who did not drink primarily from polycarbonate bottles. All students’ BPA levels registered far below the limits prescribed in federal safety standards.

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Cloth diapers have gotten a bum reputation over the years. From unsightly visions of soiled diapers being dunked in toilet bowls or baby’s soft skin being punctured with pins, there have been a lot of complaints in the non-disposable diaper world. But fear not, because there have been major innovations since the day your grandma used disposables. Cloth diapering is a lifestyle choice. We’ve uncovered the top ten myths of cloth diapers and have gone to the best in the industry to find out the truth.

1. Used cloth diapers stink up your home whether on the baby and in the diaper pail.
Truth: Although their is no denying dirty diapers smell whether they are are cloth or disposable, cloth diapers may actually smell less. With cloth diapers the poop is removed before the diaper is placed in the pail and with disposable it is wrapped up inside of it. On the other hand, placing a poopy disposable diaper in a trash can will certainly make the house stink. Deo-disks Melissa Ganim, a new mother and the Operations Manager for Cotton Babies says that the creation of products like bumGenius Odor Remover and diaper pails reduce the smell of cloth diapers as they are being stored. are also an inexpensive way to deal with diaper pail odor. These non-toxic deodorizers smell like citrus and do a great job cutting down on diaper pail odor. These deodorizing disks are used and recommended by diaper services. Ashley Andrews, the Marketing Coordinator for Bumkins says there are other ways to reduce the odor from soiled diapers when storing them in a diaper pail. “Placing a rag or reusable wipe soaked with a few drops of tea oil can be extremely effective in reducing unpleasant smells. You can spray your pail with a water and baking soda solution after each use to avoid the ammonia build up that can cause bad smells. Many cloth diapering parents actually claim to smell less diaper pail odor when using cloth diapers simply because their cloth diapers aren’t full of perfumes (like disposables),” said cloth diaper advocates OurGreenHouse.com. “The best way to combat diaper pail odor is to wash cloth diapers frequently, at least every other day.”

Click here to continue reading about cloth diapering myths

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Soleil Moon Frye has launched her eco-friendly baby-clothing line called The Little Seed. The line includes shirts, pants, blankets, and onesies in solid, vivid colors which were inspired by the colors of a candy store.

Soleil founded the Little Seed store with partner Paige Goldberg Tolmach in 2007 when both women understood they shared same desire to create “a safe haven for our friends and family to come to” for “non-toxic options” in raising their children. The idea behind The Little Seed appeared when Soleil realized that “millions of other families” felt the same way. Already a hit with the Hollywood set, Soleil and Paige have even boosted that popularity with their new clothing line.

“Literally, we were constantly trying to figure out what to put on our babies,” Soleil explains. “Both our kids had allergies, and we wanted to create an eco-alternative that they could wear that would be incredible, it would be colorful. We wanted to kind of spin the concept of organic upside down and really create something that was vibrant and beautiful and colorful and filled with life, and happy and cheerful. From beginning to end it’s been the most amazing process.”

“We can really say that we’re so proud of all the love that’s put into it,” she adds. “Our belief is it’s all about balance and that a little eco goes a long way. So you can have an eco-lifestyle and still be fun and stylish and colorful.”

Soleil also admitted that being a mom is not easy. “We just do the best that we can as moms, as business owners, and when we fall down and we fail, we say, we’ll do it better next time,” she said. “And then we get up and we do it better next time. Then we continue going on and being strong. The hardest part is just finding the balance and making sure there’s always the aspect of family and that the family is always first, and that you have that balance.”

Soleil has two children, daughter Poet Sienna Rose, turning 4 next month and baby Jagger Joseph Blue, 15-months. She’s the best big sister in the whole entire world. She’s amazing. They’re so good together.”

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The ban of BPA in baby bottles is steadily being passed state by state in the United States. But the entire country of Canada will no longer be taking any chances on the much debated chemical. The country has banned baby bottles that are made from rigit plastics and Bisphenol A. This makes Canada the first country in the world to adopt a blanket regulation against BPA in the manufacturing of plastic baby bottles. The proposed regulations will prohibit the advertisement, sale and importation of polycarbonate plastic baby bottles that contain bisphenol A.

BPA is used in the production of polycarbonate, a clear hard plastic used to make many products, including baby bottles. When in contact with hot or boiling liquid, bisphenol A can migrate from the plastic into the liquid and easily be ingested. Drinking from polycarbonate bottles has increased by two thirds the rate of bisphenol A (BPA) in urine. This is the result of a survey conducted in April 2008 by a team of researchers from the School of Public Health HPSP, Harvard School of Public Health, and Education Centers and Prevention American Health (CDC). The study confirms the ability of organic compounds to migrate from the PC to the human body. The study concludes that in case of heat, such as baby bottles, these levels increase significantly.

In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) concluded in 2008 that the toxicological data available showed that current exposure levels, bisphenol A showed no health risk. But in Canada, the preliminary report published in April 2008 by the Existing Substances Assessment Program concludes that as a precautionary measure bisphenol A should be regarded as likely to constitute a health hazard for pregnant women, fetuses or infants. Since several states in the U.S. have banned the use of BPA in the production
of bottles and 5 major manufacturers have removed without waiting for their production.

The FDA has now announced that it will reconsider its original 2008 conclusion that food contact articles that contain BPA are safe.

France is also moving in the same direction. The Secretary of State for Ecology Chantal Jouanno announced at the National Assembly in June (09) that she asked the French Agency for Food Safety (AFSSA) to take the expertise on the effects of Bisphenol A.

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Tori Spelling grew up in the lap of luxury. With a childhood in a sprawling mansion in the 90210 long before 90210, if anyone knew the taste of a silver spoon, it was the child of Hollywood producer Aaron Spelling. But the 36-year-old actress, author, and fighter with her mother is finding happiness in the little things in life, like preparing homemade baby food for her daughter Stella, 11 months.

On a recent MySpace video Spelling posted on her page, she laughs at the absurdity that Spelling would get her hands dirty in the kitchen. “People are probably like, ‘Tori Spelling doesn’t do that. She probably has someone that cooks for her. No, actually I don’t. … And I actually make my own baby food!”

Spelling fed her son Liam, now 2, only jarred organic baby food when he was first introduced to solids. But when she turned to a food processor for Stella, she says she saw a difference immediately.

“She’s an eater. Like, she loves her bottle. She would take the [jarred] food and she was fine with it,” Spelling explains. “But once I made my own baby food … I literally gave it to her that first day, it was a spoonful, and her face lit up. She had this huge smile.”

Unfortunately for Spelling, her cooking prowess wasn’t caught by the camera crew following her around for her reality show “Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood” so we’ll have to take her at her word for it. “I was like, ‘Oh my gosh. This is an infomercial of why you should make your own baby food,’” she recalls. “It’s happening right here in my backyard and no one is here to see it.”

Noting that jarred food contains preservatives and is often bland, Spelling says that Stella is now hooked on her fresh fruits and veggies, and there will be no going back – for mother or daughter. “It was so amazing. Ever since then, I’m like, I’m telling you: Make your own baby food. Because it’s such a huge difference for them.”

Stella and Liam are Tori’s children with husband Dean McDermott, who also has son Jack Montgomery, 10, from a previous marriage.

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No more tears indeed! Johnson & Johnson is being asked by a coalition of organizations to remove two chemicals, considered probable human carcinogens, from its baby shampoo and other personal care products. The chemical removal is being pushed by more than 40 parent, health care and environmental groups, including the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, American Nurses Association, Physicians for Social Responsibility, MomsRising, the Environmental Working Group and Friends of the Earth.

The groups want to see Johnson & Johnson remove 1,4-dioxane and Quaternium-15, a preservative that releases formaldehyde, by the end of the year.

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics reported in March that it found Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Shampoo and other children’s products contained formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane, both of which have been found to cause cancer in animals and listed by the Environmental Protection Agency as probable human carcinogens.

Johnson & Johnson spokesman Bill Price’s response, as reported by the Associated Press, is, “The trace levels of certain compounds that were noted by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics can result from processes that make our products gentle for babies and safe from bacteria growth. Many regulatory agencies around the world consider these trace levels safe.”

The chemicals are not listed as ingredients on product labels because they are contaminants. Quaternium-15 slowly releases formaldehyde to kill bacteria and 1,4-dioxane is a manufacturing byproduct.

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics points out that Johnson & Johnson is already making formaldehyde-free products in Japan, which bans its inclusion in cosmetics.

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By Lauren Halperin, Baby Lifestyles Editor

Ecologically minded families want everything they own to be as natural and earth-sustaining as possible. And with low impact and organic goods from food to furniture increasingly available, expectant parents aren’t waiting until their babies are born to involve them in earth-conscious consumerism. Instead they are updating a ritual for new parents into one that better reflects their lifestyles. Welcome to the eco-baby shower.

Invitations: Ask your stationer about green options including using tree-free, recycled and recyclable paper and vegetable oil based inks.

Out of town guests: Calculate the mileage your guests will travel and donate to a clean energy or reforestation project that balances out the environmental impact of your travel.

Reception venue: Ask your reception manager about their green policies. Many venues are up to date on reducing and recycling programs.

Location: Consider having your celebration outdoors. The more beautiful the natural environment, the less you’ll need to spend on decorations!

Flowers: Try to use flowers that have been organically, locally grown.

Decorations: Use organic candles to create a party atmosphere instead of paper decorations.

Food: Hire a caterer who specializes in locally grown ingredients. Also ask about regional, organic wines and champagne.

Gifts: Instead of bringing normal gifts, have guests bring frozen meals which parents can use when they are too exhausted to cook.

Keepsakes for guests: Give every guest a tree seedling or a packet of wild flower seeds.

Announce that you’re green: Share your enthusiasm for having a green baby shower with family and friends. You’ll be encouraging them to go green themselves. Every little bit of knowledge about how to help the environment helps everyone be more active about making a difference.

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“She’s a big girl,” Jessica Alba said on a recent appearance on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno about her daughter Honor Marie. “She’s almost as big as me! She’s, like, 25 pounds.” The Fantastic Four star dished a bit about her first Easter with daughter and how the family of three is looking forward to Honor’s upcoming first birthday but Jessica admits that planning the party is ‘stressful.’ “The first birthday is really more for the parents. I don’t know. We might do, like, Dumbo … we might have music. I’m going to bake a cake that she can eat and put all over her face.”

Speaking of cake all over her face, Honor will have healthy icing to lick off her fingers at the party. The 27-year-old actress talked about how she tried to keep things healthy with “organic, dairy-free, egg-free cupcakes.” Unfortunately, the taste results were less than yum.

While the cupcakes themselves were “awesome” and “moist,” Jessica says that the icing “sucked” — so she decided to take a detour from the health-food route, and opted for icing in a can! “It was like, all this organic stuff and then canned icing,” she laughed.

I can attest to having some really crappy vegan frosting — but there’s also some delicious alternatives out there as well. My recommendation? The book: Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World, 75 Dairy-Free Recipes for Cupcakes that Rule. Believe me, you will not be disappointed.

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For the socially conscious mom-to-be, we would like to do anything we can to make your baby shower a little greener. Eco-friendly baby shower favors allow you to have a festive welcoming to the world for your baby without causing permanent damage to the earth.

Personalized Eco-Friendly Tote Bag	Personalized Plantable Seed Card Favors	Green Woven Favor Boxes	Mini Gable Boxes
Mini Lucky Bamboo Plants	Wedding Favor Cones	Bloembox Tiny Tins Plantable Seed Favors	Eco-friendly Natural Bamboo Coaster Favors

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Babies are little bundles of joy, but what you bundle your baby in can make a big difference—for the health of your wee one and the environment. Consider what your future fashionista’s onesies, pajamas, sleep sacks, and socks are made of, and whether or not they have been treated with toxic chemicals. Whether it’s all-natural cotton or a blend with some synthetic fibers, each conventional baby garment carries its own eco-concerns.

Organic cotton baby clothes, clothing that does not contain toxic flame retardants, and those colored with natural, nontoxic dyes can help keep your environmental impact small, even as your baby gets big. And remember, while each baby is one of a kind, they’re also in good company. Imagine the green impact if even a fraction of the million babies born in America in 2008 so far donned eco-friendly threads! Oh, and it’s possible that if your organic cotton baby clothes are colored (or white, for that matter) they may contain toxic chemical dyes and printing inks, or may have been bleached with chlorine. Check the label or ask the merchant.

But it’s not just what goes into making a baby garment, it’s also what goes on them. Many additions to clothing, like flame resistance and colorful dyes, are less than eco-friendly. Most sleepwear made from synthetic materials for babies contains flame retardant chemicals in the actual fabric. Sometimes, these chemicals are applied as a treatment after the garment is created. Avoid flame retardant chemicals by choosing cotton fabrics. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) does not require cotton fabrics to be treated with flame resistant chemicals as long as they are snug-fitting. This ruling was made after studies showed that eliminating the airspace—and therefore the oxygen—between the garment and the child’s skin significantly diminished a cotton garment’s flammability.

Related health issues
Babies’ immune, hormonal, and nervous systems are not fully developed, so environmental pollutants may affect them more than an adult. Because all of these systems are developing rapidly, babies are more vulnerable to toxic substances than at any other time in a human’s life. Health disorders affecting children—like some childhood cancers and asthma rates—are on the rise, leading many health professionals to encourage parents to limit exposure to toxins in the home.

Things you can do to Green Your Baby clothes
Whether for bedtime, playtime, or anytime in between, baby clothes made from eco-friendly fabrics that are not treated with harsh chemicals protect baby’s sensitive skin and the earth. And, when your little one’s outgrown that romper that was only worn once-recycle it, give it away or re-sell it to avoid landfill waste and the need to use virgin materials.

Baby clothes made from organic cotton not only keep dangerous pesticides out of the environment, they keep them off your baby’s sensitive skin as well. Natural baby clothing helps you take your organic baby clothes to the next level in protection. By choosing unbleached baby clothes, or clothes that do not contain dangerous dyes, you’ll contribute less to (or completely avoid) the chemical textile dyeing process—a practice detrimental to both the environment and to human health. And choosing untreated baby clothing means your little one won’t be swaddled in fabrics that have been doused with chemical flame retardants or other chemical stain- and wrinkle-resistant treatments. Eco-friendly baby clothing—made from bamboo, hemp, or soybean fibers—helps keep dangerous pesticides out of the environment and off of your baby’s skin, and is more sustainable than conventional cotton or synthetic materials. As an added bonus, these natural fibers, especially bamboo, are exceptional at keeping the wearer warm in cold weather and cool in hot weather, and are great at whisking moisture away from baby’s sensitive skin.

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Navigating through this new world of all things green can be complicated at times. There’s so much talk about what is environmentally safe, green and certified organic. When it comes to picking what’s best for your baby, what do all of these terms mean? Here are some great cheat-sheet definitions of words and terms to look out for when planning an eco-friendly nursery. Knowing the lingo is the first step to knowing how to plan accordingly…

Organic as defined by Wordspy:
1. Referring to or derived from living organisms. 2. In chemistry, any compound containing carbon.
Organic Chemicals/Compounds:Naturally occurring (animal or plant-produced or synthetic) substances containing mainly carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen.

Reclaimed:  Materials that are found in the waste stream [and put] to a beneficial use which may be for purposes other than the original use. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Refashioned:  To make new again.
Recycle: Reprocessing materials for reuse rather than disposal as waste.
Renewable Resource:  Natural resources, sometimes called flow resources that replenish themselves within time limits that permit sustained use, in contrast to nonrenewable resources. Webster’s Dictionary
Repurposed:  To reuse an object or product or convert for use in another format than which it was originally intended.
Sustainable:  The making of a product that does not use up resources faster than they’re replenished.
Composting:  Recycling vegetable and garden waste into soil fertilizer.
Low Flow:  Plumbing, faucets and fixtures that reduce stream and flow of water to limit excess use.
Carbon Neutral: To make new again.
Refashioned:  Being carbon neutral involves calculating your total climate-damaging carbon emissions, reducing them where possible, and then balancing your remaining emissions, often by purchasing a carbon offset. Oxford Dictionary.
Carbon Offset: A donation or other act that aims to remove a certain amount of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to compensate for the same amount of carbon dioxide that someone or something has added to the atmosphere.
Organic Matter: Carbonaceous waste contained in plant or animal matter and originating from domestic or industrial sources.

Sources used in this feature include the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

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A greener lifestyle isn’t just about helping to preserve equatorial rain forests, it can also mean improving your health, padding your bank account, and, ultimately, improving your overall quality of life. Why not start your baby off on the right track with one of our eco-friendly diaper bags? Intelligent functionality, durable construction and strong fashion appeal are what make Fleurville bags so popular. Fleurville is a company focused on creating compelling solutions for modern parents. They are recognized as one of the environmental leaders in parenting products by becoming one of the 1st PVC-Free companies.

After the birth of their son, Kai, Steve and Catherine were appalled by the brands and uninspired designs they encountered as new parents. Some of the “cool” products they found didn’t work very well, so they decided to see if they could build a product that made them feel good and functioned extremely well. So, Steve and Catherine set out to design a bag that functioned extremely well and looked good. As Fleurville has grown, the company has also been able to focus more deeply on integrating environmental qualities into its line of products.

All Fleurville products are guaranteed to be free of polyvinyl chloride or PVC. Additionally, Fleurville has developed Green-LAM, an environmentally friendly polyurethane laminate. Green-LAM has attributes such as moisture repellency, UV resistance and superior durability. Another environmentally-minded initiative by Fleurville is the development of an exciting new fabric Re-Run – made of recycled plastic water bottles! Beginning in 2008, 3% of all proceeds from every Re-Run product will be donated to the Eco-Mom Alliance. The mission of the Eco-Mom Alliance is to inspire and empower moms to take steps for a sustainable future by providing entertaining and accessible information and education. Fleurville is certified as a San Francisco Bay Area Green Business by the County of Marin, California.

Fleurville Beach Bag Diaper Bag – Geobot Black & White	Fleurville Beach Bag Diaper Bag – White & Pink Ogo	Fleurville DJ Backpack Diaper Bag – Black Ballistic	Fleurville Escape Pod Diaper Bag – Botanical Coral
Fleurville Escape Pod Diaper Bag – Pink Stripe	Fleurville Lexi Tote Diaper Bag – Blossom Redcrane	Fleurville Lexi Tote Diaper Bag – GeoBot Black & White	Fleurville Lexie Tote Diaper Bag – Khaki Berry Ogo
Fleurville Lexi Tote Diaper Bag – Botanical Coral	Fleurville Lexi Tote Diaper Bag – Botanical Azure	Fleurville Lexie Tote Diaper Bag – Dandelion	Fleurville Mothership Diaper Bag – Botanical Azure
Fleurville Lexie Tote Diaper Bag – Loveknots Blue	Fleurville Luxe Diaper Bag – Pink	Fleurville Lexie Tote Diaper Bag – Loveknots Pink	Fleurville Mothership Diaper Bag – Geo Black & White
Fleurville Mothership Diaper Bag – Loveknots Blue	Fleurville Mothership Diaper Bag – Spring Green	Fleurville Mothership Diaper Bag – Loveknots Pink	Fleurville Mothership Diaper Bag – Tangerine Ogo
Fleurville Re-run Hana – Black & Royal Blue Diaper Bag	Fleurville Re-run Lark – GeoBot Chocolate & Teal Diaper Bag	Fleurville Re-run Lark – Black & Royal Blue Diaper Bag	Fleurville Re-run Hana – Chocolate & Berry Diaper Bag
Fleurville Re-run Messenger Diaper Bag – GeoBot Chocolate Teal	Fleurville Sling Diaper Tote – Pink Bingo	Getaway Diaper Bag – Black/White	Getaway Diaper Bag – Botanical Azure

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Happy Earth Day! If you’re looking for where to get Earth friendly products for you and your baby, we went to Baby Earth found some of the best places and products that are safe for your growing family.

Long Sleeve Side Snap Babybody – Solid by Under the Nile Organics $14.00	SwaddleMe Bamboo – Small by Kiddopotamus $12.95	ERGO Baby Organic Carrier by ERGO Baby $120.00	WeeGo Glass Bottle – 9oz. by babylife $17.99
Organic Washcloth – 3pk by Bumkins $8.95	Hooded Towel & Washcloth Set by Under the Nile Organics $36.00	Pump and Save Bags – 50 ct by Medela $17.95	Maclaren Quest Sport Stroller by Maclaren $245.00
Orbit Bassinet Cradle by Orbit Baby $280.00	bloom fresco High Chair by bloom $400.00	Naturepedic Organic Changing Table Pad - Contoured by Naturepedic Mattress $99.00	Oeuf Sparrow Crib by oeuf $690.00
Organic Fruit Tote by Under the Nile Organics $26.00	coco stylewood baby lounger – Cappuccino by bloom $200.00	Wiggle Worm Travel Gym by Infantino $29.95	nano bloom urban High Chair by bloom $180.00
BornFree Gift Set by Born Free $44.99	ERGO Baby Organic Back Pack by ERGO Baby $49.00	Adiri Natural Nurser 3 pack by Adiri $34.95	Little Twig Bath Mitt by Little Twig $4.49
A Little Something for Mama to Be by Earth Mama Angel Baby $24.95	Boppy Organic Slipcover by Boppy $24.95	Maclaren Rocker by Maclaren $90.00	Organic Nature 4 Piece Set by NoJo $199.95
Svan High Chair by Svan $259.95	vedaBABY Butt Plus: Diaper Rash Cream by VedaPURE $40.00	Baby Food Grinder by Munchkin $9.95	Medela Pump In Style Shoulder Bag by Medela

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Pregnancy hasn’t been a bumpy road for Ugly Betty star Ana Ortiz. In fact, the actress, who’s due with a girl at the end of July, says she feels “phenomenal.”

You might have to hate Ugly Betty actress Ana Ortiz. On top of being a beautiful, talented actress on a hit television show, the radiant actress in an interview with People Magazine at the GLAAD Media Awards said she’s had a great experience being pregnant with her daughter. But “talk to me in another month,” she addded.

Ortiz and her husband guitarist Noah Lebenzon are busy designing the baby’s nursery room. “I just met with the decorator today. I didn’t want it too frilly frou-frou, too canopy princess-y. So we’re doing a sort of eco-friendly, beautiful room,” she says. “I’m not sure of the color palette yet, but it’s going to be gorgeous.”

Oritz is also being thrown a star-studded baby shower affair hosted by her costars America Ferrera and Vanessa Williams. With this pair behind the planning of the ultimate baby shower party, the 38-year-old can look forward to an influx of environmentally-friendly gifts for her newborn.

Williams said, “A friend of mine owns Green Baby, so Ana has all the green baby products she could ever want. But my gift to her was the catering. I’ve got a wonderful woman who is going to cater (for the baby shower). I said, ‘Please allow me to do that.’” And the mom-to-be was overwhelmed by her generous pal’s gesture: “I was so flabbergasted that she even offered.”

We expect that Williams might have breakfast foods on the menu. Ortiz says she’s craving “french toast and pancakes. Other than that, I want citrus and lots of fruit.”

Photo Source: People Magazine

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Nicole Richie and Joel Madden, parents of the adorable Harlow Madden, hosted a benefit for UNICEF’s Tap Project, which helps provide clean and accessible water to children around the world. The event was hosted by the couple’s own Richie-Madden Children’s Foundation on March 24 at Hollywood hotspot MyHouse. Celebrities in attendance at the event, which was held at MyHouse in LA, included fashionista Rachel Zoe, Lauren Conrad, Matt Dallas, and Joel’s bro and Good Charlotte bandmate Benji Madden.

The benefit was for Unicef’s Tap Project, which this week asks participating restaurants to ask patrons to donate $1 for the tap water they usually get for free. The money raised goes to help provide available, clean water for children around the world.

The pregnant Richie looked gorgeous in a satiny blue and red dress. Richie, Joel, and Benji made for a handsome family portrait on the red carpet. Nicole, 27 and Joel, 30, expect their second child in late August/early September. The new baby will join big sister Harlow Winter Kate, 14 months.

Related Posts About Nicole Richie at Baby Lifestyles:
Nicole Richie To Launch Maternity Clothing Line
Nicole Richie Celebrates Harlow’s First Birthday With Wild Party

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You aren’t likely to see the chemicals formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane listed on the labels of baby bath products, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t there, a consumer group is warning. In a report released today by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (CSC), more than half of children’s bath soaps, shampoos, lotions, and other personal care products tested by the group were found to contain 1,4-dioxane and formaldehyde, according to a report released today. Both of the chemicals are considered probable carcinogens by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Because they are not intentionally added by manufacturers, there is no requirement that product labels list the chemicals when they are present. There are also no federal restrictions on allowable levels of the chemicals in body care products, but several other countries do not allow the chemicals at any level. The European Union has banned 1,4-dioxane from cosmetic products. And formaldehyde is not allowed in cosmetics sold in Japan and Sweden.

“Manufacturers could easily remove these toxic byproducts, but they are not required to do so under federal cosmetics safety standards,” Sonya Lunder, MPH, of CSC and the Environmental Working Group said. Lunder says there is no simple way for parents to tell if the baby bath products they are purchasing contain the chemical byproducts. In an earlier test, CSC found that many products labeled “natural” or “organic” contained 1,4-dioxane. “The main thing parents can do is use fewer body care products on their children or look for those products with fewer ingredients,” she says. “Labels that say ‘gentle’ or ‘pure’ or even ‘organic’ don’t really tell you much.”

61% of Products Had Both Chemicals
The CSC had 48 baby and child personal care products tested for 1,4-dioxane, which occurs as a byproduct of a chemical process used to make petroleum-based cosmetic ingredients gentler to the skin. The products were chosen because they contained ingredients most likely to produce the chemical. Twenty-eight products were tested for 1,4-dioxane and formaldehyde, which occurs when preservatives commonly used in cosmetic products break down.

“Our intention is not to alarm parents, but to inform parents that products that claim to be gentle and pure are contaminated with carcinogens, which is completely unnecessary,” said Stacy Malkan, a spokeswoman for the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, and is calling for the government to more strictly regulate personal care products such as shampoo, lotion and makeup. “The levels we’ve found are relatively low, and the industry often says there’s just a little bit of carcinogen in my product. The problem is, we’re finding a little bit of carcinogen in many products. Many of these products are used every day, so we’ve got repeated and frequent exposure to these low levels of chemicals. They’re not the safest and purest products, and parents ought to know that.”

According to the report:
* Seventeen out of 28 products tested (61%) were found to contain both formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane.
* Twenty-three out of 28 products (82%) contained formaldehyde, and 32 of 48 products (67%) contained 1,4-dioxane.
* Baby Magic “Soft Baby Scent” Lotion contained the highest levels of formaldehyde found in the testing.
* Two samples of the lotion contained 570 and 610 parts per million (ppm) of the chemical. The report noted that a formaldehyde level above 500 ppm would require a warning label in Europe.
* Several samples of “American Girl” shower products, sold by Bath & Body Works, contained the highest levels of 1,4-dioxane found in the test.
* Best-selling products found to contain both chemical contaminants included Johnson’s Baby Shampoo, Sesame Street Bubble Bath, Grins & Giggles Milk & Honey Baby Wash and Huggies Naturally Refreshing Cucumber & Green Tea Baby Wash.

Cleveland Clinic dermatologist Wilma Bergfeld, MD, leads the Cosmetic Ingredient Review, an industry funded, government-backed panel that assesses the safety of ingredients used in cosmetics. She thinks if the CSC report is accurate, it suggests that manufacturers are not doing a good enough job of removing 1,4-dioxane from their products. “Dioxane should not be in any baby care or children’s cosmetic, period, because it is possible to take it out,” she says. “Formaldehyde is a different story.” She says the formaldehyde levels cited in the report were well within what has been shown to be safe.

The review panel recommends that formaldehyde levels in personal care products should not exceed 2,000 ppm. The highest level of formaldehyde found in any single product tested by the CSC was 610 ppm. “We know from animal and human studies that this level is safe and can be used in all ages, with the exception of people with formaldehyde sensitivities,” she says.

Baby Care Companies Respond
The Baby Magic line of bath products has been sold since the testing was done, and a spokeswoman for Naterra International Inc., the company that now markets the products, said that the tested lotion has been reformulated. Melanie Dean-Valdez says the product formulations tested by the CSC are no longer being sold.

In a statement issued late Wednesday by Johnson & Johnson, the company charged that the report “inaccurately characterized the safety of our products” and ‘unnecessarily alarms parents.’ “The trace levels of certain compounds found by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics can result from processes that make our products gentle for babies and safe from bacteria growth,” the statement notes. “The FDA and other government agencies around the world consider these trace levels safe, and all our products meet or exceed the regulatory requirements for every country where they are sold.”

“Allegations that commonly used baby products are somehow contaminated with harmful levels of carcinogenic chemicals are patently false and a shameful and cynical attempt by an activist group to incite and prey upon parental worries and concerns in order to push a political, legislative, and legal agenda,” the statement notes.

The CSC report calls for stronger government regulation to prohibit toxic contaminants in baby and other personal care products. And it calls on the industry to reformulate their products to remove the contaminants.

Bailey said that manufacturers do take reasonable steps to keep levels of the chemical byproducts “well below that which would be considered harmful,” but he adds that it is unrealistic to expect that they can be completely eliminated from all products.

The report can be found here.

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Today the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics will reveal which brands of children’s shampoos, bubble baths and baby lotions tested positive for formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane, two chemicals that have been linked to serious health problems, including cancer. You won’t find these chemicals on ingredient lists, though you might find marketing claims like “gentle” and “cure” on the suspect products, according to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a national coalition of nonprofit health and environmental organizations.

Not even waiting for the full report to be released, the cosmetics industry attacked the group in a press release, calling the allegations “patently false and a shameful and cynical attempt by an activist group to incite and prey upon parental worries and concerns in order to push a political, legislative and legal agenda.” The Personal Care Products Council questioned the scientific integrity of the report, and said that levels of the chemicals found were extremely low, within regulatory limits and safe for use. It defended the use of formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasing compounds as a safe preservative.

The Campaign has previously exposed high levels of phthalates, formaldehyde and toluene in nail polish, leading to the phase-out of the use of those chemicals by several major brands; exposed the presence of lead in many lipsticks (see 11 lead-free lipsticks). The campaign supports both the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep database of chemicals in cosmetics and personal care products, and state and federal proposals to regulate the use and disclosure of certain suspect chemicals in cosmetics and personal care products.

See the published report at SafeCosmetics.org.

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Connecticut’s attorney general says six companies have agreed to stop manufacturing baby bottles that contain Bisphenol-A, a chemical some studies suggest may be harmful to infants. Attorneys general from Connecticut, Delaware and New Jersey sent letters last October to 11 companies, asking them to stop using the chemical.

Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal says Avent, Disney First Years, Gerber, Dr. Brown, Playtex and Evenflow have agreed to the request. Blumenthal says the companies stopped manufacturing bottles with BPA a couple of weeks ago.

On Wednesday, lawmakers in Suffolk County, N.Y., became the first in the nation to vote on a ban on baby bottles and toddler sippy cups made with BPA.

Related BPA posts on Baby Lifestyles:

Suffolk County in New York Bans BPA Baby Bottles, Nation’s First

Introducing the First Silicone Baby Bottle, BPA Free

FDA Plans Baby Bottle Study on BPA

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A bill passed Tuesday in the Suffolk County Legislature officially banned baby bottles and sippy cups made with bisphenol A (BPA), a common compound found in many plastic products. The bill was passed with a unanimous vote. Stores selling bottles with BPA face $500 fines. The county is the first in the nation to ban a product made from BPA.

The vote would ban BPA from baby bottles and sippy cups sold in the county that are intended for children 3 years old or younger. BPA is found in the vast majority of baby bottles. The bill’s sponsor, Legis. Steve Stern (D-Dix Hills), said it will “protect the county’s children from a chemical that some scientific studies suggest may be harmful. There are plenty of viable, cost-effective and safe alternatives,” Stern said.

BPA is used in the manufacturing of hard plastics. The Suffolk lawmakers cited several studies that linked BPA with a variety of health issues, including heart disease and diabetes, as well as some cancers later in life. Several of these studies’ findings have been disputed.

The plastic industry slammed the law, calling it unwarranted and saying it will do more harm than good. The American Chemistry Council said the law is inconsistent with findings from regulatory agencies around the world.

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Imagine all the babies, living in an earth friendly world . . . you can just hear John Lennon singing it. Now babies will be able to go green with a new line of products authorized by the John Lennon Estate. Re-Think It Inc.’s Dandelion Earth Friendly Goods, which specializes in environmentally sound products for abbies will launch the Imagine a Better World line of plush toys and diaper bags available in stores April 1 featuring the “Real Love” designs. Those drawings, originally done by John Lennon, were published in book form in 1999. The plush toys will feature elephants, rhinos and giraffes.

Dandelion’s products are made using eco-friendly materials and processes. The new Lennon soft plush animals are made from organic cotton terry and soft velour and stuffed with corn fiber. The plush animals also have a rattle inside. In June, the company will add an “Imagine a Better World” organic canvas diaper bag decorated with John Lennon’s animal designs to the line. The bag, made from organic cotton canvas, will have rope shoulder straps and a number of pockets to carry baby items.

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It’s been dubbed “The Baby Bottle Act of 2009”. A bill in the Washington legislature would ban the sale of baby bottles, sippy cups and other food containers made with the chemical bisphenol-A. The bill’s sponsor, Democratic Representative Mary Lou Dickerson, says the chemical known as BPA can induce diabetes, cancer, and developmental disorders. “Imagine if you will, giving your child its first drink a baby bottle laced with BPA. It’s a cancer causing substance. Who would want to do that?” Dickerson asks.

Dickerson’s bill won approval from the House appropriations committee Wednesday and awaits a vote on the floor. Industry groups say any regulation of BPA should come from the federal government, not the state. They also question some of the claims made about the chemical. A similar bill was also introduced in the Oregon legislature this year.

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Yes you heard that right, you can make cupcakes for your baby with baby food! When asked the question of what to do with leftover puree baby food when baby outgrows it, one mother came up with a winning dessert recipe. She entered it in the Food Network’s Ultimate Recipe Showdown and came away a winner with cupcakes for baby made from pureed baby food to satisfy the youngest of sweet tooths. Serve them at baby’s first birthday party as a great dessert for the youngest guests, you’ll have every mom asking for the recipe.

INGREDIENTS

Cupcake Batter Ingredients:

* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 1/2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder
* 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 3 eggs
* 1/4 clover honey
* 1/2 cup light brown sugar
* 3/4 cup granulated sugar
* 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
* 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 1 (4-ounce) jar pumpkins with pears baby food (recommended: Nature’s Goodness brand)
* 2 (4-ounce) jars applesauce and apricots baby food (recommended: Earth’s Best brand)
* 1/2 cup ground pecans

Frosting Ingredients:

* 1 teaspoon almond extract
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 4 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
* 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
* 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
* 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
* 1/4 cup ground pecans
* Special equipment: 2 (12-cup) mini muffin pans

Directions
Cupcakes:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small mixing bowl add the baking soda, salt, baking powder and flour. Mix thoroughly with a fork and set aside. In a large mixing bowl add the eggs, honey, both sugars and butter. Mix until smooth using a hand mixer. Add the cinnamon and baby food. Mix until smooth. Using a rubber spatula fold in the pecans. Slowly add the flour mixture using a sifter and fold in until ingredients are evenly mixed.

Place 24 mini baking cups (2-inch, nonfoil) into each hole of the mini muffin pan. Place a 1-gallon resealable freezer bag into a bowl (for support) and pour the cupcake batter into the bag. Seal the bag and cut the tip off 1 of the bottom corners of the bag. Squeeze the batter into each baking cup, filling them only 3/4 of the way full. Place the mini muffin pan in the oven on the center rack. Bake for 12 minutes.

Frosting:

In a small mixing bowl add the extracts, milk, cream cheese, butter and powdered sugar. Mix until smooth and creamy using a hand mixer. When the cupcakes are done baking remove each cupcake from the pan and place on a cooling rack. Place the cooling rack in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 minutes.

Once the cupcakes are cooled remove them from the refrigerator. Frost each cupcake by putting a generous dollop of frosting on the top with a spoon. Garnish top with ground pecans and they are ready to serve.

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Taiwanese baby formula milk powder containing a deadly bacteria was among 852 batches of food, beverage and cosmetic products that failed quality tests. The administration found Enterobacter sakazakii in major Taiwan company Wei Quan Co’s 9.624 tons of milk powders on October 17. Enterobacter sakazakii is a bacterium that in infants can cause meningitis, inflammation of the brain’s protective membranes, developmental problems and death. It has a fatality rate of more than 50 percent in infants.

In addition, Pauls milk, produced by Parmalat Australia, a subsidiary of the Italian food giant, was also among the 852 batches of food, beverages and cosmetics banned for containing excessive bacteria. The nation is cautious about baby milk powder quality since the Sanlu milk powder scandal. Sanlu was the first and biggest domestic dairy producers to sell products containing melamine, a chemical used to make plastics that was mixed into watered-down milk to give higher protein readings. About 296,000 infants suffered kidney stones and other problems due to the melamine.

The unfit food and beverages include wines, frozen meat and fishes, water and biscuits from the United States, Japan and Spain, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine announced recently, according to the Beijing Business Today report.

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Everybody knows that smoking causes cancer, stroke, heart disease and emphysema, but all mothers and moms-to-be should also understand the potential damage to a child caused by prenatal smoking. New research by the Cancer Institute of New South Wales has provided the strongest indication yet that smoking during pregnancy also causes lower birth weight, premature birth and the baby’s potential hospitalisation in a neonatal intensive care unit. Surprisingly, previous studies have found only weak evidence or even a reverse trend, with less cancer among the children of smokers.

“Through this new research we have credible evidence that these known birth complications associated with smoking during pregnancy could also increase the risk of childhood cancers,” said Jodi McKay, deputy minister for health (Cancer).

The Cancer Institute linked the records of all births in NSW between 1994 and 2005 with cases of cancer in NSW children over the same period. Of the 1.05 million recorded births, there were 948 cases of childhood cancer. Leukaemia and cancers of the nerves and central nervous system were found to be more common in babies born prematurely and in those with a lower birth weight. Cancers were also more common in babies admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit.

Babies born with a low birth-weight have 1.7 times the risk of developing leukaemia and 1.8 times the risk of developing cancers of the central nervous system and brain cancers. Those born prematurely are twice as likely to be diagnosed with cancer. Babies admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit are at the greatest risk of developing cancer. They are 2.7 times more likely to be diagnosed with cancer, and 3.7 more likely to develop cancer of the central nervous system and brain cancers, 4 times more likely to develop eye cancer and 5 times more likely to get kidney cancer, said a Cancer Institute release.

The research, by the Cancer Institute of NSW, was presented at an international conference late last year and publicly released yesterday. It came from an analysis of 1 million birth records in NSW, including more than 900 cases of childhood cancer.

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Melamine and its byproduct, cyanuric acid, has been found in more U.S. baby formula, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has announced. According to the FDA, the industrial chemical melamine and a byproduct, cyanuric acid, have now been detected in four of 89 containers of infant formula made in the United States, doubling previously reported positive results. The contamination is extremely minute, at levels federal regulators say are safe for babies. This is the second time that the industrial chemical has turned up in baby formula in this country, but the FDA continues to insist that U.S. supplies are safe.

Melamine is a renal toxin that can cause kidney stones and acute renal failure if ingested in large amounts. In China, melamine-tainted formula has sickened tens of thousands of children, killing at least six. The melamine was apparently added to milk powder by manufacturers to make it appear that their watered-down baby formula was more nutritious than it really was. According to the FDA, U.S. formula makers do not obtain ingredients for their products from China.

In November, The Associated Press reported previously undisclosed FDA tests, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, showing that out of 77 containers of domestic infant formula tested, a can of milk-based liquid Nestle Good Start Supreme Infant Formula Wth Iron contained traces of melamine, while Mead Johnson’s Enfamil LIPIL with Iron had traces of cyanuric acid. That formula had two positive tests for melamine on one sample, with readings of 0.137 and 0.14 parts per million.

The Associated Press also reported that another brand, Mead Johnson’s Infant Formula Powder, Enfamil LIPIL with Iron, had three positive tests for cyanuric acid (an analogue of melamine), at an average of 0.247 parts per million. The FDA said last month that the toxicity of cyanuric acid is under study, but that in the meantime it is “prudent” to assume that its potency is equal to that of melamine.

In November, the Associated Press also reported that Abbott Laboratories had said in-house tests had detected trace levels of melamine in its infant formula. A spokesperson for the company told the Associated Press that the levels detected were below what FDA found in the other formulas,

Back in October, the FDA issued a public statement that levels of melamine and its analogues below 2.5 ppm in foods other than infant formula do not raise public health concerns.” According to CNN.com, the agency said then that it did not have enough data to determine a safe level of melamine and its analogues in infant formula.

But after the melamine revelations were made in November, Stephen Sundlof, the FDA’s director of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, told CNN.com that “Amounts of the industrial chemical melamine or the melamine-like compound called cyanuric acid that are below 1.0 ppm [1,000 parts per billion] do not raise public health concerns.” According to the Associated Press, no U.S. infant formula has tested over that level.

In the U.S., melamine is not allowed in human or pet food, although the FDA has approved melamine as a “food contact substance.” An FDA source interviewed by The Wall Street Journal in November speculated that the melamine contamination was the result of contact with the chemical during processing and packaging.

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The day after Baby Lifestyles blogged about the creation of BPA-free silicone baby bottles, the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) own advisory board accused the agency of failing to consider research on the dangers of BPA, a chemical found in many plastic baby bottles, plastic food containers and metal can linings, causing the agency to finally agree to reconsider the issue. Exposure to this chemical is widespread and was seen in the urine of nearly ninety-three percent of the sample population. Although the FDA’s draft risk assessment claimed the chemical was safe, this conclusion stood out among other research that considered the chemical dangerous. For example, the National Toxicology Program, a branch of the Department of Health and Human Services, has stated the chemical can harm the brain, behavior and the prostate gland in fetuses, infants and children. Canada has also added the chemical to a list of toxic substances and said it will ban the chemical from being used in polycarbonate baby bottles. A recent study by the Journal of the American Medical Association has found adults with high levels BPA in their urine were more susceptible to heart and liver disease as well as diabetes.

The FDA’s position was based on information gathered from two large multigenerational studies by research groups that received funding from the American Plastics Council. According to the deputy director of the agency’s Office of Food Additive Safety, the FDA reviewed other studies, however, the two multigenerational were the only ones that met its guidelines for determining safety for human consumption; the other studies were said to have lacked details about how the study was administered and did not include all of the raw data, which prevent agency scientists from conducting an independent audit. However, after receiving criticism from an independent advisory panel regarding the FDA’s stance, the agency’s science board subcommittee determined the FDA was wrong to disregard the other studies. This led to the agency’s decision to reconsider its position.

Although the agency has decided to reconsider its position, many products containing bisphenol-A are still on the market, leading many people to look for alternative BPA-free products; Philips, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of baby bottles, has started to make products with and without the chemical to allow customers to choose. Beginning in 2009, the company also decided it will no longer take orders for polycarbonate bottles.

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There’s no sugar-coating it, babies are expensive. But most parents are willing to spend a little more money on their baby products to ensure that they are safe. But a new consumer products safety act passed in the United States may soon make it illegal to buy an baby products used or secondhand, which will make cutting corners for baby much more expensive for many parents on a budget.  

The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act was passed in August 2008 and was designed to ensure that toys and other baby products are free of lead and other harmful chemicals. It includes a ban on products that contain more than 600 parts per million of lead by weight. The Act will take effect on February 10, 2009. The issue is that the new law applies not only to newly manufactured products but those in resale shops, thrift shops, and those you are watching on eBay.

If you are a parent looking to meet your budget by shopping at secondhand baby stores for clothes and gear that baby will quickly grow out of, these locations might soon be a thing of the past. The effects on resale are not the only potential problems with CPSIA. The act applies new testing standards to large and small companies in the same way, across the board, meaning manufacturers must test and certify their products whether they are making millions of toys a year or hand-sewing a few items to sell on Etsy. For small companies, the testing can be cost-prohibitive and time consuming. It may put small companies out of business.

The CPSIA is a well-intentioned act. The improvement of the safety of products are using and playing with is something that needs to be taken seriously and the bottom line of this law is to deal with these issues seriously, however it needs to be revised. Closing down thrift stores and putting small companies out of business is not what parents had in mind when they called for increased safety for their children.

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PETA, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is teaching their message of love and tolerance for animals younger and younger. In 2008, they sent the message to Suri Cruise that she should learn early that wearing fur is a no -no. Now that Bristol Palin is a mom, PETA is sending her and Baby Tripp a gift with a message of peace…or should we say peas. Group spokesperson Michelle Cho says that since Sarah and Todd Palin “never met an animal they didn’t like — to eat or shoot” PETA is sending a onesie bodysuit that says “Give Peas a Chance” and a bib with the slogan “Animals Are My Friends.”

PETA wants to send the message that it’s never too early to instill good vegan eating habits and promote “world peas.” Also included in the care package to the moose-shooting family is an “Animals Are My Friends” bib and other goodies.

“Tripp will inherit a kinder and more compassionate world than the one his grandparents cling to,” Cho wrote in a note. “There is a growing consciousness among people everywhere of how our actions affect those around us, including animals. Helping children understand that animals are living, feeling beings who deserve to be treated with respect and compassion will help them grow up to be kind, compassionate citizens.”

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Over the past few months, the rise in concern over the chemical bisphenol A (or BPA) has lead mothers to worry about what else their baby might be drinking from their bottle other than milk. Company Prince Lionheart might have found a solution to put an end to all the bottle fever. They have created a silicone baby bottle. Silicone is natural substance that contains no chemicals and is 100% safe for babies. “Now, parents who are concerned about the health of their babies have a safe and natural alternative to plastic baby bottles,” said Kelly Griffiths, President and CEO of Prince Lionheart.

According to a report released by a coalition of scientists and environmental-health advocacy groups, common baby bottles sold across North America contain “very significant” levels of BPA, Phtalates, lead, and PVC, chemicals linked to infertility, obesity, diabetes, thyroid disease, breast cancer, prostate cancer and respiratory complications. These chemicals have even turned up in harmful levels in popular baby bottles sold throughout the U.S. and Canada including Avent, Dr. Brown’s, Evenflo, Gerber, and Platex.

Unlike most of their plastic counterparts, Prince Lionheart’s Silicone Baby Bottles contain NO Bisphenol A, Phthalates, PVC, or lead, and are heat-resistant, microwavable, shatterproof and dishwasher safe, making it the safe and smart choice for parents. The plastic ring, plug and cap contain no polycarbonates and are food grade, FDA approved to provide the safest feeding experience for baby.

Because of the pliancy of silicone, bottle-feeding with Prince Lionheart’s Silicone Baby Bottles even replicates the tactile experience of breastfeeding and helps reduce baby-feeding problems like colic, spit-up, burping and gas. The one-way venting system reduces the incidence of gas and spit up. Venting systems have also been shown to reduce risk of middle ear infections.

Prince Lionheart provides today’s new parents with the smart choice in baby products that blend practical function with modern style, while also ensuring that all materials and processes used in the production are safe and protect the health of children and the environment. The Silicone Baby Bottles are available in three modern, sleek colors and offer three natural shaped nipples – to meet your baby’s changing nutritional needs (Slow flow, 0-3 months; Medium flow, 3-6 months and Fast flow, 6+ months). Prince Lionheart’s Silicone Baby Bottles are available in single packs and 3 packs, in 4oz and 8oz.

The Prince Lionheart’s Silicone Baby Bottles are available at Right Start.

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Two of the most common New Year’s resolutions are to organize their homes and to become more environmentally conscious. You can combine both of these resolutions in your baby’s nursery by recycling their old toys. It helps clean up your home, makes room for all those new gifts they got over the holiday season, gets rid of items they have grown out of and keeps the Earth green.

Toys represent a simple and happy time of life for most people. They are also an essential tool in the cognitive and social development of a child. The onslaught of toys purchased, some 2.6 billion each year, represents a significant amount of potential waste and many toys you cannot simply dump in your curbside recycle bin as they are often comprised of different materials and components making them difficult to recycle. Here are some of the tips Baby Lifestyles received from Earth 911, the leading nationwide directory of local recycling resources.

E-Waste
Younger generations loves electronic toys. Electronic devices eventually wear out (some quicker than others, depending on the enthusiasm of the child), but should never be thrown away with normal trash. Electronic waste accounts for more than half of the overall toxic waste found in landfills. Electronic toys are more and more common. If they are irreparably damaged, they should be recycled with other e-waste.

Batteries
If you are able, recycle the batteries used in your children’s toys. Rechargeable batteries still contain heavy metals like other batteries, such as mercury, lead, cadmium and nickel, but they last longer. Recycling batteries keeps these heavy metals out of landfills and the air. If you must toss them, dispose of them properly with a household hazardous waste (HHW) or similar program. There are many different kinds of batteries, and they require different disposal procedures. When incinerated, certain metals can be released into the air or can concentrate in the ash produced by the combustion process.

PVC
Many toys are made of the plastic Polyvinyl Chloride, or PVC. The manufacturing of PVC requires the largest single use of chlorine gas in the world (roughly 40 percent of total chlorine production or 16 million pounds per year). The release of chlorine, mercury, lead, cadmium and other potentially hazardous chemicals into the environment are reduced when vinyl toys are recycled.

Share the Love and Donate!
Donation is always the best option for “what happens next,” because it will give the toy another life. Another child might love it just as much as the original owner. Great ways you can keep the life of toys going include passing them along to other children in your family or donating toys to a local charity, school or church. If you check your local hospitals, some accept stuffed animals and other toys and any child who is sick would greatly appreciate them.

For more information about how you can recycle toys, visit Earth 911.

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