Sunday, May 23, 2010

Organic Cotton is Safer for Your Baby's Crib ~ Move afoot in US Congress to ban drop-side cribs

Making your baby's crib Organic is a wonderful thing you can do for their health. Organic Crib Mattresses, Organic Cotton Crib Bedding and Clothing, and Organic Cotton Toys can all reduce your baby's exposure to harmful chemicals. Click pictures for more info...

Please be aware of the danger of drop-side cribs... see this article from the Associated Press...

Move afoot in US Congress to ban drop-side cribs

Dozens of deaths and recalls lead to effort for US congressional ban on drop-side baby cribs

Jennifer C. Kerr, Associated Press Writer, On Sunday May 23, 2010, 6:01 am EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The baby crib, usually a safe haven for little ones, became a death trap for 6-month-old Bobby Cirigliano.

The side rail on his drop-side crib slid off the tracks and trapped his head and neck between the mattress and the malfunctioning side rail. His face pressed against the mattress, the boy suffocated.

"I just don't feel complete anymore," says his mother, Susan Cirigliano of North Bellmore on New York's Long Island.

Bobby was one of at least 32 infants or toddlers since 2000 who suffocated or were strangled in a drop-side crib, which has a side that moves up and down to allow parents to lift children from the cribs more easily than cribs with fixed sides. Drop-sides are suspected in an additional 14 infant fatalities during that time.

Consumer Product Safety Commission Chairman Inez Tenenbaum has pledged to ban the manufacture and sale of the cribs by the end of the year with a new standard that would make fixed-side cribs mandatory. It could be several months into 2011 before becoming effective.

While the industry has already started phasing out drop-sides, there are plenty for sale on the Internet, and that's part of the reason Congress is getting involved.

"There's a great urgency here. We have to make sure that no parent is unaware that drop-side cribs could kill their children," Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said in an Associated Press interview.

At a news conference in New York on Sunday, Gillibrand plans to outline legislation to outlaw the manufacture, sale and resale of all drop-side cribs and ban them from day-care centers and hotels. She hopes the legislation will accelerate efforts for a ban, either via Congress or the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The industry insists that babies are safe in drop-side cribs.

"We believe firmly that when these products are assembled and used properly, they are the safest place to put your child," said Mike Dwyer, executive director of the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association.

Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

The USA is not scoring well in terms of WORLD MOTHERHOOD RANKINGS

me with my newborn Baby Alexis

I think about choosing Organic all the time to be a good mother, with Organic Food being paramount. Organic cotton clothing, bedding, natural toys are all important too, and we all have to start with what feels right to us. I was shocked to find this article, but it is true, that as a culture, we really need to step it up in terms of taking care of ourselves, beginning with our babies...

Here are some quotes from the full article, found with this link:


http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jh_9-k9ZBP4qt2kt9dHZD3adDvGg


US low score on world motherhood rankings


The United States has scored poorly on a campaign group's list of the best countries in which to be a mother, managing only 28th place, and bettered by many smaller and poorer countries.y rate, which at one in 4,800 is one of the highest in the developed world, said the report.

"A woman in the Unites States is more than five times as likely as a woman in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece or Italy to die from pregnancy-related causes in her lifetime and her risk of maternal death is nearly 10-fold that of a woman in Ireland," the report said.

"At this rate, a child in the US is more than twice as likely as a child in Finland, Iceland, Sweden or Singapore to die before his or her fifth birthday," the report noted

And it added: "The United States has the least generous maternity leave policy -- both in terms of duration and percent of wages paid -- of any wealthy nation."

Monday, May 3, 2010

MSG in Morningstar Vegetarian Products

This posting deserves a yucky face...


My 10 year old daughter recently had severe migraines. MSG can cause migraines, among other bad things.
If you want to avoid MSG in processed soy products, buy Lightlife products.

The following ingredients ALWAYS contain MSG:
Hydrolyzed protein,
Sodium caseinate
Yeast extract, Maltodextrin
Autolyzed yeast
Textured protein
Calcium caseinate
Yeast food
Hydrolyzed oat flour
Spice Extractives

These two OFTEN contain MSG:
Natural flavorings
Food seasonings

If MSG is contained in an ingredient that is listed on a food label, it doesn't have to be labeled by itself.

My daughter is vegetarian like me and she likes eating products like Chik Patties and Sausage Patties from Morningstar Farms. I contacted Morningstar Farms to ask about MSG in their products... such as the Chik Patties and Sausage Patties... here is their response. Notice how they say "small amounts". That is interesting because you only need a small amount of MSG, a sprinkle, and that is still enough to be unhealthy.

Morningstar Farms® Consumer Affairs 020901656A ...
From: "kellogg@casupport.com" ... Add to Contacts To: lonicaeisenbraun@yahoo.com

KELLOGG'S

Hello Lonica,

Thank-you for contacting us concerning the monosodium glutamate (MSG) used in some of our products. Our nutritionists and food scientists work very hard to develop products that are acceptable for our consumers. Small amounts of MSG are used in the product to achieve the desired taste and texture. We would never use an ingredient that is unsafe for our consumers. The Food and Drug Administration, the National Academy of Science, and the American Medical Association all have affirmed the safety of MSG. Even so we understand there is a limited population who have shown a sensitivity to it. Glutamate occurs naturally in protein-containing foods such as cheese, milk, mushrooms, meat, fish, and many vegetables. Glutamate is also produced by the human body and is vital for metabolism and brain function. We are sorry to learn that this ingredient has caused concern for you. We will share your comments with our food development teams. We do have many other products that do not contain MSG that you might enjoy. Thanks, again, for your inquiry. We hope you will find this information helpful.

Best of health,
Mark A. Suriano Consumer Specialist Consumer Affairs

TLXMAS01/cl 020901656A


With 4 children in our family, we are always researching the healthiest options for everyone. Click the picture of our baby below to see the Organic Baby Clothing.