Are You Exposing Your Newborn to Harmful Chemicals?

Most parents know how important it is to have healthy air quality before they bring a newborn into the world. They may spend a month or two before the due date deep cleaning, having their air ducts cleaned and sanitized, and even shampooing the carpet. Infants are highly sensitive to pollution, dust, mold, chemicals in everyday products, and pet hair.? Poor air quality may result in higher chances of bronchitis, RSV, croup, asthma, and allergies.?

Additionally, Forbes recently published an article with data from the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care claiming that using household cleaning products, even just once a week, is as bad as smoking a pack of cigarettes a day. No parent wants to put their child in harm’s way, so let's discuss a few ways that you can keep your little one breathing easy.?

• ?Dust weekly. Use a wet rag and some mild, eco-friendly soap. You don’t need to fill your home with harsh chemicals to get rid of germs. A little bit of natural soap and water goes a long way. As mentioned, harsh chemicals have very harmful, long-term side effects.
• Avoid Phthalates and parabens. Phthalates and parabens are chemicals found in many everyday products that are known carcinogens. Look for product labels that clearly state the product is phthalate and paraben free.?
• Clean air ducts yearly. Getting your air ducts cleaned is not as expensive as one would think. Many companies that offer air duct cleaning also will sanitize the air ducts using a natural solution to fight off mold and mildew.
• Let some fresh air in. The best time to do this is early morning and later in the evening when the air is cool. If you live in a city and worry about air pollution, try getting out into nature as often as possible or purchase an air filter.

Keeping a newborn healthy is always a new parent’s top priority. Freeing your home from toxic chemicals can sometimes feel like a never ending project. Don’t give up. Keep making choices that support your family's health. Unfortunately, the FDA does not require companies to report harmful ingredients that are within their products. You have to look for products that are certified free of harmful ingredients. If you feel lost at where to start, get in touch and be sure to follow our business page Better Choices Better Lives !

We would love to hear from you! How did you prepare your home for a newborn?