tree hugging with style

Flame Resistant Sleepwear

I am having a hard time finding information about flame retardants, PBDEs, and polyester sleepwear. Let me rephrase - I can spend hours searching the internet and I find a lot about those topics, but, I have Halo Sleepsacks for my 7 mo. old daughter, and the label says "100% flame-resistant polyester". Some research reveals that they are not treated with a chemical per se, but lots that I read says something labeled as such actually has the flame-resistant material woven into the polyester fabric. I also read that when this is the case, the material is inert and harmless, not breaking down and releasing anything harmful. But then I read things that say anything flame-resistant is inherently harmful. So, I'm going crazy - do I get rid of her sleep sacks, or are they okay?

1 member likes this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Erin Royer on August 7, 2011 at 10:13pm

Hi Sara,

I wanted to share some information with you from our blog about this topic.

The Healthy Children Project recommends ” buying clothing, bedding and furniture made of natural fibers, such as cotton and wool, which do not melt near heat and as such do not need to contain flame-retardants.” The Environmental Working Group says, “To avoid any chemicals in sleepwear and reduce the risk of igniting sleepwear, we suggest you choose natural fibers that are inherently fire resistant and snug-fitting.”

Most children’s sleepwear is made of polyester (fleece), nylon acetate, and rayon. These fabrics begin their lives as a vat of chemicals, including petroleum. They have a prolonged landfill life, create more dependence on oil and take 40% more energy to produce than cotton. They are not breathable and block out air sometimes causing the body to overheat. These synthetics can also emit toxic gasses and are allergenic, causing respiratory disease in some cases. Polyester is plastic and will melt when heated. Synthetics must also contain flame retardants.