What's In Your Baby's Mattress? Naturepedic Pushes Companies to Ditch the Chemicals During National Cancer Prevention Awareness Month

With a recent law passed in New York that will force companies to phase out the use of harmful flame retardant chemicals in mattresses, furniture and electronic displays, Naturepedic says consumers need to stay vigilant in knowing what their babies' bodies are ingesting while they sleep.

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Naturepedic

Feb 16, 2022, 13:22 ET

CHAGRIN FALLS, Ohio, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- By January 1, 2024, all mattresses and upholstered furniture sold in New York State will no longer be allowed to contain many harmful flame retardant chemicals per a law passed last year by the New York State Senate. Although this is a significant step toward protecting consumers – and other states like Maine are working to ban perflorinated (PFAS) compounds used to waterproof crib mattresses – Naturepedic isn't waiting until 2024 to educate the public about inadequately tested chemicals used on a daily basis in products even for newborns.

Barry Cik, Board-Certified Environmental Engineer and Founder of Naturepedic, reminds manufacturers during National Cancer Prevention Awareness Month: "Businesses, whether they realize it or not, can have a direct role in influencing non-hereditary childhood cancer. Chemicals cannot be absentmindedly used throughout the manufacturing, supply chain and product formulation process – then hidden from consumers."

Since 2003, Ohio-based Naturepedic has provided safer, healthier organic-based mattresses and bedding products that have a positive impact on the environment and protect the lives of babies and adults alike.

All Naturepedic mattresses are certified organic by GOTS and certified nontoxic by MADE SAFE, eliminating questionable materials and chemicals found in most conventional mattresses, such as flame-retardant chemicals and barriers, polyurethane foam, vinyl and formaldehyde, while meeting and exceeding the highest level of certifications available in the marketplace. Using food-grade polyethylene from non-GMO sugarcane to achieve the most non-toxic waterproofing on the market, Naturepedic is a rarity in an industry that still relies on phthalates, formaldehyde, PFCs/PFAs, polyurethane foam, flame retardants and chemical flame barriers, as well as harmful glues and adhesives to produce crib mattresses – where a newborn will spend up to 16 hours a day sleeping.

Out of over 85,000 chemicals used in U.S. manufacturing, only 10 to 15 of those chemicals are tested per year by the government. Flame retardants -- chemicals used to prevent or slow flames -- have been linked to neurological impairments, hormone disruption, decreased fertility, and cancer.

Although fewer children are dying of cancer nowadays than in the past, the rate of children being diagnosed with cancer has increased. According to the National Cancer Institute childhood cancer cases have increased 34 percent since 1975 and remain the leading cause of death by disease in children ages 1 to 19 in the U.S.

It is Cik's ongoing mission with Naturepedic's products and outreach, to educate consumers about what's inside their mattresses and how they can make better choices for themselves and their families. During National Cancer Prevention Awareness Month, he urges manufacturers to also make better decisions.

"To make a difference, everybody needs to ditch the chemicals from food, the air, soil, and consumer products to prevent the risk of cancer and other serious conditions," he says.

For media inquiries, please contact Giselle Chollett at [email protected]
or 917.386.7116.

BARRY A. CIK, PE, CP, BCEE, QEP, CHMM, CDFE, REM
Barry A. Cik is the Founder and Technical Director of Naturepedic, a manufacturer of award-winning certified organic and non-toxic mattresses for babies, children and adults. As a professionally trained board-certified environmental engineer, Barry combines his authentic passion for improving our quality of life with the technical knowledge to do so. His devotion to the organic industry is the natural result of his lifelong interest in preserving the environment not only for us, but for all future generations as well. He is an advocate for legislative reform, and was invited to testify in Washington, D.C. for a congressional subcommittee hearing exploring chemical reform. Barry frequently speaks before scientific, consumer, political and business audiences on the benefits of sustainable product design.

About Naturepedic:
Since 2003, Naturepedic has been on a mission to protect the lives of families through safer, healthier organic-based products that have a positive impact on the environment. A brand with purpose, transparency and ethical practices, Naturepedic is the recipient of many certifications and is highly respected by numerous health and environmental organizations (https://www.naturepedic.com/certifications) and is an EPA Green Power Partner. Since its inception Naturepedic has been a consistent and generous advocate and supporter of NGO's and nonprofits advocating for "Right to Know" about what is in the products that people bring into their homes.

SOURCE Naturepedic