Wondering if choosing organic baby clothes over more "conventional" products really makes a difference? You bet it does!
Globally speaking, buying organic clothing can make a big impact, even if it is for your little baby. Organic farming reduces your carbon footprint and contributes to the general health of the planet. For instance, the cotton industry accounts for over 24% of pesticide use. Five of the top nine chemicals (cyanazine, dicofol, naled, propargite, and trifluralin) in cotton farming are known carcinogens. Children who are exposed to pesticides in and around the home have a 7X higher risk of leukemia. And it's not just children at risk. In India, 91% of male cotton workers exposed 8hrs + daily experienced some type of health disorder including those at the cellular level. The synthetic fertilizers and pesticides used on many crops can poison the water you drink and kill off beneficial organisms (an estimated 67 million birds each year!). Small business farmers often get caught in the vicious cycle of purchasing expensive chemicals to improve yield only to find that more chemicals are required to kill off resistant pests and enhance tired soil the next year. The land wears out, water becomes poisoned, and costs get out of hand, so a once thriving livelihood gets abandoned.
Many parents think that the "Organic" label is just a slick way to raise clothing prices. While organic does cost a little more, the quality of the materials and construction outweighs the extra cost. Your baby's clothes will last longer, look and wear better. You won't be embarrassed to give them to another parent or save them for your growing family. By buying organic, you can own heirloom pieces that future generations can pass down to their children. Strict federal and international standards means if you see an "Organic" label, you know that the product must contain at least 95% organically grown and produced ingredients. A "100% Organic" label means exactly that; the product contains all organically grown and produced ingredients. The International Working Group's Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is the label to look for when buying products made outside the U.S. Be aware, labels that say "natural" or "green" are NOT regulated or certified, so there is a lot of inconsistency.
All the global and economic reasons aside, is it really a question when it comes to the comfort of your baby? Certain azo dyes used in conventional clothing are carcinogenic. Formaldehyde, used to "finish" a fabric doesn't wash out completely and neither does the nickel often used. Exposure of delicate baby skin to these chemicals can result in rashes, asthma and other skin related allergies. Even if you are not allergic, organic materials just plain FEEL better.
For many, choosing organic baby clothes was one of the most logical steps when planning for their new arrival. When you put the facts together, it's clear that organic is the way to go. Buying organic baby clothes is not only a great choice for taking care of your little one; it's the responsible choice for taking care of our world.