Question from Carrie
Hi Debra, We are anticipating the arrival of our third child in a few weeks and of course, I am in nesting mode and evaluating/re-evaluating all our choices for this baby. We have a co-sleeper made by Arms Reach that we LOVE for the capacity to have the baby basinett attached to the bed. However ours is now about 8 yrs old (we bought it for our first child) and I have been wondering if the concerns of toxic molds off gassing are relevant to this product.
The mattress is made of polyurethane foam and the cover is polyester (when we bought it I hadnt yet found you/your site). Do I need to worry about these things off gassing and creating the same SIDS risks as in the older mattresses? I can buy a new, organic mattress from the company – made of latex and wool and covered in cotton, but while my children have yet to be allergic to latex, I am so I hesitate to do that.
Debra’s Answer
Older mattresses outgas less than newer mattresses because they are more outgassed, depending on age.
I’m not concerned about toxic MOLDS outgassing, unless the mattress has been stored in a damp place.
I don’t see any reason why you shouldn’t encase it if you want to.
It makes sense that outgassing decreases as products age, but I’d definitely still suggest investing in anorganic crib mattress if at all possible. With the amount of time your little one spends in bed, it makes sense to be sure that this part of your nursery is as toxin-free as possible. Congrats and all the best to you and your family.