OT Flame retardant sleepwear

Hi everyone,

Thought I'd ask tis bunch of mothers-in-the-know about the hazards (if any)
of flame retardants used on children's pajamas. I've heard this and that in
the news about the pervasive flame retardants in mattresses, furniture,
carpets, etc., that apparently pose a number of risks, including cancer and
diminished fertility in male children. (This flap is distinct from the one
over Tris 25+ years ago.)

I bought a pair of fleece pajamas for DS and only later did the matter of
flame retardants come to my attention. The pajamas are nice, and I see that
if one washes them in soap rather than detergent, the flame retardant effect
is lost. What I'd like to know is if this also renders the garment less
toxic.

Anybody know anything about this?

Thanks!

Beth

I specifically stay away from the flame retardant treated sleepwear. The
stink of the chemicals is enough to make me run the other way. Someone
gave my mom a pair as a baby gift for us when ds was born, and when I
opened the package, I nearly choked. Also, most kids sleepwear is made
from polyester, which I think also makes it flame resistant, and we just
don't do polyester, either. I think it's really bad for the skin, for
one thing. Breathable 100% cotton with no flame retardant is all I'll
ever put on my kids.

I have found cotton pajama/sleeper type things in catalogues, and other
wise use alternate things like sweatshirts and pants, waffle knit
thermal tops and long johns, etc.

We are very suspicious of chemicals and long term consequences of them.
We cloth diaper, eat as much organic as possible, etc. Not totally
crunchy, but crunchier and more sceptical and suspicious than most. I
also remember reading one time that kids who cosleeep are safer in the
instance of nighttime fires, because they are in the room/bed with their
parents, not off in a room alone somewhere where they need to be found
or gotten to in an emergency.

That's just the way we do things around here.

-Karen, mom to Henry 4/24/04-

"Beth" wrote
Thought I'd ask tis bunch of mothers-in-the-know about the hazards (if
any)
of flame retardants used on children's pajamas. I've heard this and that
in
the news about the pervasive flame retardants in mattresses, furniture,
carpets, etc., that apparently pose a number of risks, including cancer
and
diminished fertility in male children. (This flap is distinct from the
one
over Tris 25+ years ago.)

I'm not so much against the flame retardant, but don't understand why. If
the flames are close enough to DD that the pajamas are going to save her
because they don't burn, she's pretty much toast anyway. We buy 100% cotton
jammies and have a smoke detector in her room. Her sheets are cotton/lycra
and the decorative bedding is 100% cotton, so none of it is flame retardant.
I guess in my life there are enough other things that I worry about that
giving her comfy jammies is more important to me than worrying about fire.
--
Melissa (in Los Angeles)
Mum to Elizabeth 4/13/03

"Melissa" wrote in message
news:I3dQb.131847$xy6.536344@attbi_s02...
I'm not so much against the flame retardant, but don't
understand why. If the flames are close enough to DD
that the pajamas are going to save her because they
don't burn, she's pretty much toast anyway.

This is exactly my thinking as well. I wonder why they don't make kids'
daytime clothes flame retardant, not the PJ's. They're not going near
anything hot while in bed, but when they're up running around an
accident is more likely to happen IMO. I'm guessing it was mandated as
the direct result of some particular tragedy and big lawsuit, so I
wouldn't expect it to be logical or well-thought-out.
--
Cheryl S.
Mom to Julie, 2 yr., 10 mo.
And Jaden, 4 months

Cleaning the house while your children are small is like
shoveling the sidewalk while it's still snowing.

"Melissa" wrote in message
news:I3dQb.131847$xy6.536344@attbi_s02...
I'm not so much against the flame retardant, but don't understand why. If
the flames are close enough to DD that the pajamas are going to save her
because they don't burn, she's pretty much toast anyway.

That's in the event of a house fire. How about playing around matches,
stoves or a parent who smokes, though?

Beth

"Beth" wrote in message .. .
Hi everyone,

Thought I'd ask tis bunch of mothers-in-the-know about the hazards (if any)
of flame retardants used on children's pajamas. I've heard this and that in
the news about the pervasive flame retardants in mattresses, furniture,
carpets, etc., that apparently pose a number of risks, including cancer and
diminished fertility in male children. (This flap is distinct from the one
over Tris 25+ years ago.)

Hmmm....I hate flame-retardant sleepwear. It is plasticky and feels
uncomfortable. So I buy 100% cotton. But to make it "safe" they make
it skin tight, so I buy it a size up. I do buy fleece
blanket-sleepers to put over the cotton jammies. Our house is cold.

What seems wierd is that you don't seem flame-retardant sleepwear for
adults. It's usually cotton. Why? Because it's UNCOMFORTABLE.

A baby's chances of dying (or being saved by flame-retardant
sleepwear) in a house fire are pretty low. I'd rather her be
comfortable.

Cathy Weeks
Mommy to Kivi Alexis 12/01

"Karen" wrote in message
hlink.net...
I specifically stay away from the flame retardant treated sleepwear. The
stink of the chemicals is enough to make me run the other way.

Indeed!

Also, most kids sleepwear is made
from polyester, which I think also makes it flame resistant,

I think plastics-based fabrics melt into the skin, causing injuries
potentially worse than those inflicted by burning natural fibers.

I have found cotton pajama/sleeper type things in catalogues, and other
wise use alternate things like sweatshirts and pants, waffle knit
thermal tops and long johns, etc.

That's what I've been doing, too. I had some nice 100% cotton cozies that I
cut off and hemmed up when DS grew out of them. They still make good summer
nightshirts. But I did buy that pair of fleece pajamas for wintry weather
(-20°F here the other night). DS always kicks the covers off, and even
though we share a bed, I can't keep a cover on him . . .


We are very suspicious of chemicals and long term consequences of them.

Well the stuff coming out about falling sperm counts that implicate flame
retardants are alarming . . . don't know how good they are, though. I'd
rather do without the flame retardants--that's for sure.

We cloth diaper, eat as much organic as possible, etc. Not totally
crunchy, but crunchier and more sceptical and suspicious than most.

That's the second such usage of "crunchy" that I've seen this week. Whence
does it come? "Crunchy granola"? :-)

Thanks for your input.

Beth

"Melissa" wrote
I'm not so much against the flame retardant, but don't understand why.
If
the flames are close enough to DD that the pajamas are going to save her
because they don't burn, she's pretty much toast anyway.

"Beth" wrote
That's in the event of a house fire. How about playing around matches,
stoves or a parent who smokes, though?

I guess that's why we're supposed to not let children play with matches or
stoves and it's a great argument (among others) to not smoke. I guess my
point is that even if they're playing with matches and manage to light
something, if a fire is close to them, the fire retardant in jammies isn't
going to protect them from harm unless it covers they're hands and head and
face and protects them from smoke inhallation (which is what kills most
people in a fire anyway).
--
Melissa (in Los Angeles)
Mum to Elizabeth 4/13/03

Melissa wrote:

"Melissa" wrote

I'm not so much against the flame retardant, but don't understand why.

If

the flames are close enough to DD that the pajamas are going to save her
because they don't burn, she's pretty much toast anyway.


"Beth" wrote

That's in the event of a house fire. How about playing around matches,
stoves or a parent who smokes, though?


I guess that's why we're supposed to not let children play with matches or
stoves and it's a great argument (among others) to not smoke. I guess my
point is that even if they're playing with matches and manage to light
something, if a fire is close to them, the fire retardant in jammies isn't
going to protect them from harm unless it covers they're hands and head and
face and protects them from smoke inhallation (which is what kills most
people in a fire anyway).

You don't understand. Some clothing, when NOT treated with flame
retardants, catch fire with a WHOOMP and it's not about being in a fire
long enough to suffer smoke inhalation, but about NOT being incinerated
like a roman candle from a small flame. In a major fire, they will not
help, other than some fabrics not sticking to the skin, but will have an
effect if the child is near a small flame.

Who LETS a chld play with matches? I'd wager a fair bit that kids who
find matches are not playing with them with their parents'
concent/knowledge.

Dawn

"Dawn Lawson" wrote in message
news:dAyQb.253897$X%5.3737@pd7tw2no...
Who LETS a chld play with matches? I'd wager a fair bit that kids who
find matches are not playing with them with their parents'
concent/knowledge.

Most parents don't, but my parents did. My brother and I must have been
around five or six. We played with matches and candles and cigarrette
lighters frequently and our parents knew all about it. We often closed off
the hallway so it would be really dark and start lighting candles.

Once, we were in a hall closet with a candle in a plastic pumpkin when the
pumpkin caught fire. We ran back and forth to the bathroom with cups of
water to put it out. Luckily, the closet was mostly empty. Anyway, my dad
was in the family room reading the paper and didn't seem to know we almost
burned the house down. We never got in trouble for it that I can remember.
I told my co-worker that story once and she said he was probably too busy
cleaning up the mess so he wouldn't get in trouble from my mom for not
watching us. :-)

I agree with you that the fire retardant clothing is to prevent clothing
from going up in a flash from small flames, but we didn't play with flames
when we were in pj's. They ought to make play clothing fire retardant,
because that's when kids are up playing with fire.