Green's a good idea for baby's home
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Judy Focareta is coordinator of environmental initiatives and instructor of the "It Is Easy Being Green" class at Magee-Womens Hospital.
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Solid wooden cribs may seem a splurge when you can buy a nearly identical wood composite crib for half the price.
But a few Pittsburgh mothers have changed their ways after attending a "green" pregnancy class at Magee-Womens Hospital, where they learned that not everything they find in stores is safe for baby.
For example, some wood composites in cribs contain the carcinogen formaldehyde -- and that formaldehyde leaches into the air as vapor.
"Companies can do it because they're putting small amounts in. Over time it comes out of the product as a vapor so children are breathing it," said Judy Focareta, Magee's coordinator of environmental initiatives and instructor of the "It Is Easy Being Green" class. "We don't know at what point it causes a problem, but we sort of go by the precautionary principle. If something could cause harm, try to find an alternative."
The class for new and expectant parents is free. It's one of the hospital's environmental initiatives funded by the Heinz Endowments.
Mrs. Focareta provides research-based information in the class, giving new parents a chance to sift through the myths and facts surrounding environmental health.
For example, personal care products can contain chemicals like sodium laureth sulfate, which gives soap a more lathery texture, but has been linked to asthma and hormone disruption.
A cheap alternative is castile soap, made with vegetable oil. Trader Joe's carries it for about $3.
"Some of the science is very clear, For example, the science that links mercury and lead to neurotoxicity, or damage to the brain and nervous system," Mrs. Focareta said. "Other science is just starting to point to the problems and health effects. Some of this is sort of like a warning -- the science is saying "start looking at these things."
In the case of formaldehyde, the concern is that chemicals could affect the child's developing brain, Mrs. Focareta said.
Composite wood cribs, which can contain the chemical, may include a combination of plywood, particle board and fiberboard which can contain veneer, laminates and plastics as well as wood. These products can still be identified as "real wood," so it is best to ask a store clerk before buying.
"The effects of the exposures are cumulative. It's not something you would say the household cleaner you are using is going to kill you in five days," she said. "But some have chemicals linked to cancer or hormone disrupters. If you are exposed to these things on a daily basis it will affect you."
The Environmental Working Group, an organization that works to identify and protect children from toxic chemicals in household items, rates baby products on its Web site www.ewg.org.
But it does not cover everything, and Mrs. Focareta tries to catch the slack. In the class, she also warns parents that paints and adhesives can be dangerous.
For those in the process of designing a nursery, she suggests volatile organic compound- free paints. Paint fumes remain in the air long after the application, and the VOCs in most paint are linked to eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches, nausea and damage to certain organs, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Adhesives can contain the same substances -- something parents should watch for when they choose carpet for a room. "Sometimes the carpet itself has been glued together with an adhesive that has chemicals," she said.
It's a lot to take in for many parents, especially if they are on a tight budget. So the hospital staff has tried to find the most reasonably priced versions of the items they suggest.
The staff, for example, found an eco-friendly crib mattress for about $180 at Babyland, about the average price for a regular baby mattress.
And making some changes costs nothing.
"We started opening the windows in our house, especially the nursery, to clear out the toxins from the carpet, furniture, paint, etc.," Katie MacLeod, an expectant mother who attended the class, wrote in an e-mail.
On the food front, Mrs. Focareta said parents should be careful not to buy fruits and vegetables with pesticide residue -- something that some varieties like peaches and green peppers retain more than others. Her advice: buy organic when you can, and when you can't, buy local.
"We recommend buying at the farmer's markets," she said. "That's local, and even if some local farmers are not certified organic, most of those farmers are using fewer pesticides."
And parents should be wary of household chemicals as well.
"Two chemicals we tell them to definitely avoid are ammonia and chlorine," Mrs. Focareta said. "We give them a formula for making their own cleaning products and also recommend ones they can buy."
Natural versions of name brands, such as Clorox Green, also are reasonable alternatives.
The class is, in part, an effort by the hospital to become more environmentally friendly, but also the response to a growing environmentally conscious public in Pittsburgh and the surrounding area.
"In Pittsburgh I think we're just coming to this because it's a different community," she said. "We haven't been raised on it. But it's a growing value. I've noticed in our classes that we get a lot more questions about environmental health."
Each of the first two 21/2 hour classes attracted about 30 people. The next class will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 7. Those interested in attending can call 412-802-8299 or visit www.magee.edu to sign up.
Some attendees said class time was well spent, but not enough.
"I suggested that they do it for longer or make it two days," said Mrs. MacLeod. "There was a lot of information to cover in that short period and lots of good discussion was happening, but we ran out of time."
First Published July 29, 2009 12:00 am
