You & Your Family

Home / Pregnancy Articles / Home / Healthy Home

Healthy Home

2010-07-14 10:14:12

So you want to decorate your baby’s nursery? Here are tips for creating a healthier environment for your child.

From testing rocking chairs and shopping for cribs to picking out the perfect pastel shade of paint, there are lots of things for new parents to think about when preparing a nursery for the arrival of their baby. But in the process of decorating and designing the ideal baby’s room, parents are often unaware that they could be generating indoor air pollution that can be harmful to their child.

“Many new parents don’t realize that the products they will likely use to paint furnish and decorate their baby’s nursery may contain potentially harmful irritants,” says Jennifer Shelby, a certified indoor environmentalist with Lennox Industries. “To create a healthier home for their little one, it’s important for new parents to evaluate their home’s overall indoor air quality and avoid introducing new pollutants into the air,” Shelby added. “And doing so is a quick and easy process.”

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, infants are especially susceptible to indoor air pollutants because they are still developing bodily systems and stronger immune systems. And, since newborns spend most – if not all – of their days indoors, it’s especially important that the indoor air they breathe is free of harmful contaminants. To help new parents design a baby’s room that’s not only beautiful but also breathable, here are a few tips:

1. Select the right paint.
Before picking up a paintbrush to paint the nursery, make sure you’ve selected a water-based paint with low- or no-volatile organic compounds (VOCs), to help reduce potentially harmful gases that are emitted from high-VOC paint. Most major paint manufacturers offer low-VOC products. To reduce your own risk of respiratory irritation when painting, open windows and doors to ventilate the area.

2. Check all baby furniture.
New furniture containing plywood, paneling or particleboard may have harmful levels of formaldehyde gas – a known carcinogen – trapped inside. When shopping for your baby’s new crib, changing table or rocking chair, be sure to check product labels and look for furniture that is made of formaldehyde-free fiberboard or solid wood. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) adds that there should be no more than 2 3/8 inches between crib slats, and no missing or damaged slats.

And be sure to use only recommended linens for the crib – no top sheets, soft comforters or pillows, which are too confining and warm for a baby. The CPSC suggests using a sleeper or other similar sleep clothing for your baby. If additional warmth is still needed, cover your child with a light baby blanket tucked in around the crib mattress and reaching only as far as the baby’s chest.

3. Make safety the priority.
While adding playset mobiles and nightlights to the baby’s room can create a warm environment, be sure to think of safety first. Nothing with small detachable pieces should be near or over your baby’s head and, of course, each room should have a smoke detector. But families often forget about the silent killer – carbon monoxide (CO). Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless and tasteless gas that can pose a significant health threat if inhaled at concentrated levels.

In fact, according to the American Lung Association, nearly 300 people die each year due to carbon monoxide exposure, and thousands more are made sick or require medical attention. CO detectors alert you to danger much in the same way as a smoke detector, so be sure to install one in the nursery and all sleeping areas of the home.

4. Analyze the air.
Whether it’s pet dander, dust, mold, mildew, smoke or chemical vapors, chances are your home has some type of indoor air quality issue. In fact, according to the EPA, the air inside the average home may be up to five times more polluted than the air outside.

To identify any potential indoor air issues in your home, contact a local heating and air conditioning professional and ask about indoor air quality testing.

The data collected from the monitor will allow you to make informed decisions about how to address potential air-quality issues – whether it’s using high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters or other leading technology as part of a well-designed whole-house purification system.

Many new parents turn to portable room air cleaners to treat the air in the nursery. However, some air cleaners could be adding to the pollution in the home by emitting detectable levels of ozone, a known lung irritant. Before purchasing an air cleaner, call the product manufacturer or ask the salesperson if it produces ozone and look for an air cleaner that is ozone-free.

5. Plan your floors.
Since dust and pet dander can often build up in rooms with wall-to-wall carpeting, consider installing hardwood floors in the nursery and other rooms and use area rugs that can be washed regularly.

If wall-to-wall carpeting is your only option, make sure it’s tightly woven and looped and is 100 percent wool or cotton. The tight loops help prevent the accumulation of dust mites in the carpet.

 

Related Articles

	Homework Career: What better place than your place to balance business with baby?
	Pesticide Protection Pesticides pose a number of health risks. Here's how you can protect your baby.
	Safely Seated The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) offers tips on child passenger safety child seat
	Protecting Your Family As your family grows, so should your insurance. Pamela Johnson and Jonathan French look at how best to safeguard your most important assets.
	Let's Talk Here's how to ensure you and your partner continue to enjoy a healthy relationship, both physically and mentally.
	Nourishing Foods Eating a healthy, balanced diet is a top priority while you are pregnant.
	And Baby Came Too... Your first vacation as a new family requires careful planning and consideration.

 

<< back to Home Articles