Tips for Creating an Earth-Friendly Baby Nursery

It's important to keep your baby as safe as possible with earth-friendly nursery decor. Even with today's emphasis on organic products and environmentally friendly lifestyles, it can still be difficult to do your best for your baby's health while also being kind to the planet. Some suggestions from Healthy Child, Healthy World, a nonprofit organization dedicated to greener lifestyles and healthier children, may help:

1. Keep the air your baby breathes indoors clean and healthy by keeping rooms ventilated and keeping the filters in air conditioners and heating units clean.
2. Buy nontoxic, organic cleaning products instead of using harsh chemicals. These work just as well as conventional cleaning products, but are safer for you and your children. Look on the labels for the words chlorine-free, phosphate-free, nontoxic and biodegradable. You can also use common household items, such as baking soda, lemon juice, vinegar and borax, for many cleaning tasks.
3. Reduce your usage of plastic, and be aware of which plastics are safe and which ones are not. Do not buy chew toys that contain PVC, and avoid polycarbonate and polystyrene baby bottles and sippy cups.
4. Don't use pesticides on your lawn or garden, and make sure children wash their hands and remove their shoes after playing outdoors, in order to keep pesticides out of their mouths and out of the house. If you have pest issues in your house, you can find numerous organic solutions online.
5. Be aware of where your food comes from, and eat organic! Or at least avoid non-organic fruits and vegetables that retain the highest pesticide residues: apples, strawberries, carrots, potatoes and spinach. Also steer clear of meat and dairy from animals raised on feed with added hormones and antibiotics.

You can also learn more about food and environmental safety for yourself and your baby at Healthy Child, Healthy World's Web site: www.healthychild.org.

Dana Morgenstein is on the editorial staff of Dominion Parenting Media and Parenthood.com.

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