Organic Baby
Crib Mattress

FIVE PROBLEMS WITH BABY MATTRESSES (Toxic Chemicals)

by: Barry A. Cik, PE, CP, DEE, QEP, REM, CHMM*
Chief Engineer, G.E.M. Testing & Engineering Labs

Introduction

This report, "Five Problems With Baby Mattresses," is intended to highlight the potential dangers of using baby mattresses composed of vinyl (polyvinyl chloride or PVC), phthalates, polyurethane foam, harsh chemical fire retardants, and other chemical additives.

It is becoming increasingly clear that toxic chemicals are affecting our children. A primary source of toxic chemicals in the environment of a child during its first few years of life is the mattress and bedding. Removing potentially harmful chemicals from these prominent objects represents a prudent approach for concerned parents and their doctors.

Here is an overview of some specific concerns with baby mattresses:

o Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), the surface material used in nearly all baby mattresses, is widely considered to be one of the most toxic and environmentally unfriendly plastics in use today.

o Phthalates, associated with asthma, reproductive effects, and cancer, make up 30% by weight of the PVC surface of a typical baby mattress. Phthalates are not bound to the plastic and leach out.

o The FDA and Consumer Product Safety Commission have issued general warnings regarding the use of phthalates, yet the PVC surfaces of baby mattresses still contain phthalates.

o DEHP (the most commonly used phthalate in baby mattresses), together with several other phthalates, have already been banned across Europe for use in many children's products.

o The PVC surface of a typical baby mattress is also treated with toxic fire retardant chemicals such as antimony. Various biocides are often added as well.

o Polyurethane foam, the predominant filling material used in baby mattresses, typically contains various problematic ingredients including chemical catalysts, surfactants, emulsifiers, pigments, and other chemical additives. These frequently include formaldehyde, benzene, toluene, and other well established toxic chemicals such as organotin compounds.

o Polyurethane foam (essentially solid petroleum) is extremely flammable. To combat this hazard, industrial toxic fire retardants are added. The most common chemical fire retardant used to treat polyurethane foam has been pentaBDE, a toxin associated with hyperactivity and neuro-behavioral alterations. PentaBDE is not bound to the foam, and leaches out into the surrounding air.

o PentaBDE has recently been banned in Europe. It has also been banned by the State of California as of 2006. However, there is currently no planned government action to recall the millions of baby mattresses presently in use that contain pentaBDE.

o Other common materials found in baby mattresses include "shoddy" pads made from scraps swept off the floor of textile mills or "hair" pads made from pig hair.

o Children are far more vulnerable to toxic chemicals than adults, especially within their first few years of life. Considering that children spend over 50% of their early life on a baby mattress, it would be prudent to use materials that don't contain such dangerous chemicals.

The NaturePedic® No-Compromise™ Baby Mattress, designed by G.E.M. Testing & Engineering Labs, addresses these and other issues.

Disclosures and Disclaimers: G.E.M. Testing & Engineering Labs serves in the capacity of technical consultant to NaturePedic. Barry A. Cik, a quarter century veteran in the field of environmental engineering, and chief engineer at G.E.M. Testing & Engineering Labs, formulated the NaturePedic design. Credentials, licenses, and certifications are listed for identification purposes only. All informational sources presented here are presumed to be reliable. This report is not intended to engage in medical research or the diagnosis or treatment of any disease. For medical related questions, please follow the advice of your physician.

The Five Problems with Baby Mattresses

Over the last 30+ years, baby mattress materials have been replaced with cheap petroleum-based synthetics. Nearly all baby mattresses today contain polyurethane foam, vinyl (PVC), phthalates, chemical fire retardants, and an extensive list of added industrial chemicals. Recent studies have questioned the use of these materials. Some of these chemicals have even been shown to leach out into the surrounding air.

"The results of the study demonstrated that some crib mattresses emitted mixtures of chemicals capable of causing respiratory-tract irritation and generating combinations of SI [sensory irritation], PI [pulminary irritation] and AFL [airflow limitation]... chemicals involved in the manufacture of the mattress and cover... have toxic properties... to lung, liver, and brain... respiratory tract irritants... carcinogenic and neurotoxic."
(Anderson, Rosalind C., PhD, "Respiratory Toxicity of Mattress Emissions in Mice." Archives of Environmental Health Jan. 2000. www.andersonlaboratories.com)

Babies and toddlers spend 10-14 hours a day sleeping and playing on a baby mattress. Furthermore, a child's every breath inhales air no more than six inches away from these chemicals. As such, for the first few years of a child's life, the mattress is the single most prominent object in the child's environment.

Problem #1: The Vinyl/PVC surface of a typical baby mattress consists of 30% phthalates that can leach out into your child's crib

In order to make the vinyl surface of a typical baby mattress soft and flexible, phthalate plasticizers are added (most commonly DEHP). Phthalates typically account for 30% by weight of the vinyl surface of a typical baby mattress.

"Phthalates are animal carcinogens and can cause fetal death, malformations, and reproductive toxicity in laboratory animals... children may be at higher risk of adverse effects of phthalates because of anticipated higher exposures during a time of developmental and physiologic immaturity... Phthalates are not covalently bound to the plastic matrix and leach out of PVC..."
(Shea, Katherine M. MD MPH and the Committee on Environmental Health. "Pediatric Exposure and Potential Toxicity of Phthalate Plasticizers." American Academy of Pediatrics. Pediatrics Volume 111 No. 6. June 2003. Pg. 1467. http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;111/6/1467)

"Although DEHP plasticizes numerous products, roughly 95% of the current production is used in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) (National Toxicology Program 2003), where it typically constitutes 30% of PVC by weight... phthalate (DEHP) was associated with asthma… This study shows that phthalates, within the range of what is normally found in indoor environments, are associated with allergic symptoms in children."
(Bornehag, Carl-Gustaf, et al. "The Association Between Asthma and Allergic Symptoms in Children and Phthalates in House Dusts." National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Environmental Health Perspectives. Oct 2004. http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/docs/2004/7187/abstract.html?section=children)

A study of phthalates in hospital settings revealed the following:

"Other potential respiratory exposures to DEHP in the NICU include off-gassing from... mattress covers... DEHP exposures continue when the neonate arrives at home... off-gassing of indoor vinyl products."
(Brody, Charlotte. "Neonatal Exposure to DEHP and Opportunites for Prevention." Health Care Without Harm. July 13, 2000. http://www.noharm.org/details.cfm?type=document&id=379)

"The CDC report provides definitive evidence that phthalates in soft PVC plastic are getting into virtually all of our bodies."
(Brody, Charlotte. "New CDC Report Finds Phthalates and Other Chemicals Commonly Used in Hospitals
at Highest Levels in Children." Health Care Without Harm. February 5, 2005.
http://www.noharm.org/details.cfm?type=document&id=707)

In 1998, the National Environmental Trust, together with other environmental groups, asked the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to ban the use of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in products intended for children under age five. While the CPSC could not entirely ban PVC, they recently asked manufacturers of baby products to voluntarily discontinue the use of phthalate plasticizers. Most manufacturers are removing phthalates from toys (now generally made only with hard PVC plastic). However, phthalates are not currently being removed from baby mattresses (as this would turn the mattress surface into hard plastic and make it unusable).

Problem #2: The PVC surface of a typical baby mattress presents unusually high health risks

All plastics are not created equal. PVC is made from vinyl chloride, which is a combination of petroleum (ethylene) and chlorine. This particular plastic is far more toxic than the plastic bag you might use to pack your lunch.

"The chemical composition of PVC includes two features. First, PVC is the only plastic that contains chlorine... Second, plasticizers, i.e., additives, are used in PVC, mostly diethyl hexyl phthalate (DEHP), from 0 to almost 50% of the weight... In conclusion, in our case-control study of testicular cancer, a somewhat surprisingly high risk was observed for exposure to PVC plastics."
(Hardell, Lennart, et al. "Occupational Exposure to Polyvinyl Chloride as a Risk Factor for Testicular Cancer Evaluated in a Case-Control Study." International Journal of Cancer. 73, 828-830 1997.
www.mindfully.org/Pesticide/Occupational-Exposure-PVC.htm. See also National Library of Medicine)

In a study that made the front page of USA today, phthalates were linked to reproductive effects:

Consistent toxicologic evidence indicates association between several of these phthalate esters and reproductive effects... DEHP has been shown to... reduce testosterone... commonly used phthalates may undervirilize humans"
(Swan, et al, "Decrease in Anogenital Distance Among Male Infants with Prenatal Phthalate Exposure." University of Rochester School of Medicine, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Environmental Health Perspectives, June, 2005. www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0CYP/is_8_113/ai_n15343367)

Some of the chemicals frequently added to the PVC surface of a typical baby mattress can include lead, cadmium, phosphorus, and others. In particular, antimony, the primary fire retardant used on the vinyl plastic surface of most baby mattresses, can be quite harmful even at low levels.

"... animals that breathed very low levels of antimony had eye irritation, hair loss, lung damage and heart problems. Problems with fertility were also noted... Where is antimony found?… Most antimony oxide produced is added to textiles and plastics as fire retardant... "
("Antimony and Antimony Compounds." Pollution Prevention Factsheet. Ohio EPA. Number 102. September 2002. www.epa.state.oh.us/opp/mercury_pbt/fact102.pdf)

According to Health Care Without Harm, "many hospitals are reconsidering their use of polyvinyl chloride (PVC or vinyl) medical products. Their concerns with PVC products relate to patient safety or potential environmental health effects." (http://noharm.org/details.cfm?type=document&id=741). DEHP, the most common phthalate used in vinyl baby mattresses, has already been banned in Europe for many children's products.

Problem #3: Typical baby mattresses use petroleum as filling

Nearly all baby mattresses today use polyurethane foam (also known as urethane foam or just "foam") as internal filling. Polyurethane foam contains various problematic ingredients associated with numerous health hazards. It deteriorates over time, breaking up into small dust-like particles that can easily become airborne (releasing VOCs into the air).

"Avoid heavily chemically treated mattresses filled with polyurethane foam... Polyurethane foam offgasses VOCs, especially toluene... Formaldehyde and other VOC offgassing is associated with... mattresses." ("Green Birthdays." American College of Nurse-Midwives. www.midwivesofwa.org/greenbirthdays.pdf)

Some of the health hazards listed on manufacturer material safety data sheets (MSDS) for polyurethane foam include: possible cardiac arrhythmias, breathlessness, chest discomfort, irritation of mucous membranes, headache, coughing, asthma-like allergic reaction, dizziness, weakness, fatigue, nausea, blurred vision, and reduced pulmonary function.

Polyurethane foam is produced by combining a polyol (petroleum based) with an isocyanate (usually toluene diisocyanate or TDI), which is a highly toxic substance. The EPA has identified several chemicals used in the fabrication of polyurethane foam as hazardous air pollutants (hydrochloric acid, 2,4-toluene diisocyanate, and hydrogen cyanide).

"Exposure to these substances has been demonstrated to cause adverse health effects such as irritation of the lung, eye, and mucous membranes, effects on the central nervous system, and cancer."
("National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Flexible Polyurethane Foam Fabrication Operations." Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 40 CFR Part 63, Final Rule, Federal Register/Volume 68, No. 71/Monday, April 14, 2003/Rules and Regulations, Pg 18062)

"Organotin compounds - Found in... polyurethane foams... can disrupt the hormone, reproductive, and immune systems. Animal studies show that exposure early in life can also have long-term effects on brain development."
("Hazardous Chemicals Found in Household Dust Across U.S." Health Care Without Harm. March 24, 2005. www.noharm.org/details.cfm?ID=1037&type=document)

Problem #4: Polyurethane foam is highly flammable

Polyurethane foam is a petroleum product and is highly flammable. This poses a significant danger.

"If ignited, polyurethane foam can burn rapidly, releasing great heat and consuming oxygen. In an enclosed space, the resulting deficiency of oxygen can present a danger of suffocation to the occupants. Smoke and gases released by burning foam can be incapacitating to human beings if inhaled in sufficient quantities." (Polyurethane Foam Industry-Wide Warning Label)

Polyurethane foam decomposes into deadly and hazardous gases when ignited.

"Thermal decomposition products from polyurethane foam consists mainly of carbon monoxide, benzene, toluene, oxides of nitrogen, hydrogen cyanide, acetaldehyde, acetone, propene..."
(OSHA Hazard Information Bulletins. "The Fire Hazard of Polyurethane and Other Organic Foam Insulation Aboard Ships and In Construction." U.S. Department of Labor. Occupational Safety & Health Administration. www.osha.gov/dts/hib/hib_data/hib19890510.html)

According to Jonathan R. Barnett, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Fire Protection Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, "polyurethane foam produces ten times more carbon monoxide for each gram burned than does wood." (http://encarta.msn.com/text_761563809___13/Fire.html)

"...carbon monoxide is the deadly gas and will kill us before the flames do."
("Mattresses: Deadly Fire Hazards." CBS News. The Early Show. Interview with U.S. Deputy Fire Administrator Chief Charlie Dickinson. June 28, 2004. www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/06/28/earlyshow/living/home/main626380.shtml)

Problem #5: Toxic fire-retardant chemicals are typically added

Due to the high flammability of polyurethane foam, industrial strength toxic chemical fire retardants are typically added to meet the minimum flammability standards set by government agencies. While there are no laws or regulations regarding the materials or chemicals permitted to be used in baby mattresses (other than basic labeling requirements), the government does mandate minimum flammability standards. The most common chemical fire retardants used to treat polyurethane foam for the past several decades have been polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), in particular, pentaBDE.

"PentaBDE... is predominantly used as a flame retardant in polyurethane foam... exposure can damage the thyroid and liver and cause hyperactivity, changes in motor behavior, and other brain functions... Because pentaBDE is not chemically bound to the polymer [foam], pentaBDE particles can leach out into the air. People can be exposed to pentaBDE through inhalation... Polyurethane foam typically contains 10-30% pentaBDE by weight."
("Penta-Brominated Diphenyl Ether/PentaBDE." University of Massachusetts. Lowell Center for Sustainable Production. Fact Sheet. March 2003)

"Thyroid and neurobehavioral alterations... are possible effects of concern in children exposed to PBBs or PBDEs."
("Public Health Statement: Polybrominated Biphenyls and Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBBs and PBDEs)." Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/phs68.html#bookmark06)

PentaBDE has recently been banned in Europe and by the State of California (as of 2006) with other states to follow. Some manufacturers are beginning to replace PentaBDE with its precursor, decaBDE, or other chemical based fire retardants or barriers (e.g. modacrylic, PAN, other PBDEs, etc.). These replacements are arguably no better. Meanwhile, there is currently no plan to recall the millions of baby mattresses presently in use that contain the banned pentaBDE.

Are Toxic Chemicals Harming Our Children?

Many researchers suspect that toxic chemicals are playing a significant role in the dramatic increase in childhood disorders. Just as lead paint was once widespread before it was found to be toxic and banned, many components of today's baby mattresses are also toxic. Eventhough these chemicals are currently legal, they are likely to eventually be banned as well.

There is growing concern among physicians, health professionals, public safety officials, environmental advocacy groups, and consumers regarding the possible effects of these chemicals on our children.
Some of these chemicals have already been implicated in various childhood disorders.

"Today, children are exposed to thousands of substances in the environment, most of which have never been tested for toxicity to children... The implications of this massive experiment in exposure are unknown. Environmental toxicants are suspected to be correlated with many disorders that, until recently, have been assumed to be genetic in origin... attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder, and autism are among the disorders that may be linked to environmental toxicants."
(Center for Children's Health and the Environment at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York. www.childenvironment.org/factsheets/environmental_pediatrics.htm)

"... EPA has determined that infants up to age two are, on average, ten times more vulnerable to carcinogenic chemicals than adults, and for some cancer causing agents are up to 65 times more vulnerable... children accumulate up to 50 percent of their lifetime cancer risk by their second birthday... many chemicals linked to mutagenic activity are commonly used in consumer products and can contribute to children's exposure to carcinogens."
(Children's Health Policy Review: "EPA Cancer Policy Revisions Highlight Risks to Children." 3 Mar. 2003.
Environmental Working Group. www.ewg.org/issues/risk_assessment/20030303/index.php)

"We have come to understand that chemicals in the environment can cause a wide range of developmental disabilities in children. In the words of pediatrician Herbert L. Needleman, 'We are conducting a vast toxicologic experiment in our society, in which our children and our children's children are the experimental subjects."
("The Developing Brain and the Environment: An Introduction." Bernard Weiss MD, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, and Philip J. Landrigan MD, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York. Environmental Health Perspectives. Volume 108 Supplement 3. June 2000. http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/docs/2000/suppl-3/intro.html)

Childhood Disorders On The Rise

Childhood disorders have been rising dramatically. These disorders include autism, ADD/ADHD, asthma, allergies, cancer and more. They were extremely rare only a couple generations ago.

"The survey found that nearly one out of 10 (9.2%) American children 18 years of age and younger currently suffers from asthma. This figure is comparable to the most current estimate of the National Center for Health Statistics, which estimates that 8.8% of children 18 years of age and younger have the disease." (Children & Asthma in America. "Executive Summary." www.asthmainamerica.com/children_index.html)

Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life... affecting an estimated 1 in 250 births (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2003)... Based on statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and other governmental agencies, autism is growing
at a rate of 10-17% a year."
(Autism Society of America. "What is Autism?." www.autism-society.org/site/PageServer?pagename=whatisautism)

"Recent epidimiology studies have shown that autism spectrum disorders are ten times more prevalent than they were just 10 years ago... Autism spectrum disorders occur in as many as one in every 166 births."
(National Alliance for Autism Research. "What is Autism? - History." www.naar.org/aboutaut/whatis_hist.htm)

Researchers are increasingly concluding that the dramatic rise in many childhood disorders is not primarily caused by any significant increase in awareness or diagnostic methodologies. 10-30 years ago, the medical community was well able to diagnose these disorders. Furthermore, normal genetics is also not a likely explanation as the increases are too dramatic and too rapid. Finally, to the degree that genetic mutations are involved, the question still remains as to what is causing these mutations and/or triggering these disorders.

"The increases are too rapid to reflect genetic changes, and better diagnostic detection is not
a likely explanation. The strong probability exists that environmental factors are playing a role."
(Philip Landrigan, MD, Pediatrician. Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Advisor to Office of Children's Health at U.S. EPA. John H. Cushman Jr., New York Times, 9/29/97)

"The incidence of asthma and allergy has increased throughout the developed world over the past 30 years (Beasley et al. 2003). The short interval over which it has occured implies that the increase is caused by changes in environmental exposures rather than genetic changes (Etzel 2003; Stachan 2000)."
(Bornehag, Carl-Gustaf, et al. "The Association Between Asthma and Allergic Symptoms in Children and Phthalates
in House Dusts." Environmental Health Perspectives Oct. 2004. http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/docs/2004/7187/abstract.html?section=children)

"... children are more vulnerable to the effects of carcinogens than adults. In fact, chemicals that cause cancer via genetic mutations were up to 65 times more potent when exposures occur during childhood instead of adulthood."
("Children's Health Policy Review: EPA cancer policy revisions highlight risks to children." 3 Mar. 2003.
Environmental Working Group. www.ewg.org/issues/risk_assessment/20030303/index.php)

How Are Toxic Chemicals Allowed?

Many specific consumer products are fairly well regulated with respect to their ingredients. These include food, drugs, and other specific items such as lead in paint. There are also various types of regulations for many other consumer products such as pesticides, alcohol, tobacco, firearms, medical devices, and motor vehicles. However, the use of chemicals in most other consumer products is largely unregulated. These include many of the chemicals typically found in baby mattresses.

"Most people assume the government polices commercial chemicals in the same way the FDA polices drugs, but it's not true... there's no sheriff in town."
(Andy Igrejas, Director of the Environmental Health Campaign. Tony Iallonardo, National Environmental Trust. "Toxic Chemicals Widespread in Consumer Products." 14 July 2004.
http://environet.policy.net/proactive/newsroom/release.vtml?id=28735)

"No one is systematically tracking the use of any of these chemicals in consumer products, or the resulting human exposures to these chemicals in spite of the chemicals' known or potential human health hazards... Currently, chemicals can be incorporated in consumer products and sold on store shelves, even in products used by children, with no up-front cancer [or other safety] testing."
("EPA Cancer Policy Revisions Highlight Risks to Children." Environmental Working Group. Children's Health Policy Review. March 3. 2003)

The average consumer naturally assumes that what is sold on the market (certainly regarding baby products) is fully safe and non-toxic. However, the average consumer is unaware of the potentially harmful chemicals often included in such products.

"Most Americans would assume that basic toxicity testing is available and that all chemicals in commerce today are safe. A recent EPA study has found that this is not a prudent assumption."
(Chemical Hazard Data Availability Study. U.S. EPA Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxic Substances. www.epa.gov/oppt/chemtest/hazchem.htm)

What About Fire Protection?

When it comes to bedroom fires, a moment or two can mean the difference between life and death.

"There is a window of opportunity for someone to escape, but it is very brief. We are talking seconds. Fire doubles itself every minute in a mattress fire."
("Mattresses: Deadly Fire Hazards." CBS News. The Early Show. Interview with U.S. Deputy Fire Administrator Chief Charlie Dickinson. June 28, 2004.
www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/06/28/earlyshow/living/home/main626380.shtml)

Thousands of innocent people are killed or severly injured from bedroom fires each year. Sadly, children comprise the majority of these casualties.

"In 1995, CPSC [Consumer Product Safety Commission] conducted a field investigation study to learn more about cigarette-ignited fires and open flame fires. The report, issued in 1997, showed that about 70% of the open flame fires involved child play and that 68% of the open flame deaths were to children playing with lighters, matches, and other open flame sources."
(Consumer Product Safety Commission "Standard to Address Open Flame Ignition of Mattresses/Bedding; Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking." 16CFR Part 1633. Federal Register/Vol. 66, No. 197/October 11, 2001, Pg. 51886)

Sleeping on a petroleum based polyurethane foam mattress may rob you and your child of precious life differentiating moments. Untreated polyurethane foam is so flammable that it will literally explode into a ball of fire within seconds. Even more dangerous than the fire itself is the carbon monoxide and other deadly gases released by polyurethane foam as well as the associated significant reduction of available oxygen.

"Hazardous decomposition products [from flexible polyurethane foam] include: carbon monoxide, acetaldehyde, acrylonitrile, 2,4-toluene di-isocyanate, polymer fragments, oxides of nitrogen, and hydrogen cyanide. Fire retardant foams may generate emissions of hydrogen chloride, hydrogen bromide, hydrogen flouride, or phosphoric acid..."
("National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Flexible Polyurethane Foam Production" U.S. EPA. Federal Register. October 7, 1998. Vol. 63. No. 194. www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-AIR/1998/October/Day-07/a25894.htm)

"Thermal decomposition products from polyurethane foam consists mainly of carbon monoxide, benzene, toluene, oxides of nitrogen, hydrogen cyanide, acetaldehyde, acetone, propane..."
(OSHA Hazard Information Bulletins. "The Fire Hazard of Polyurethane and Other Organic Foam Insulation Aboard Ships and In Construction." U.S. Department of Labor. Occupational Safety & Health Administration. www.osha.gov/dts/hib/hib_data/hib19890510.html)

While the above studies did not involve baby mattresses per se, it is nonetheless clear that polyurethane foam constitutes a widespread concern, especially in those products impacting babies and young children.

In order to reduce the inherent fire hazard of polyurethane foam, harsh industrial fire retardants are typically added. However, this only trades one problem for another. These added toxic fire retardants pose their own health hazards, even while a baby is simply sleeping.

The NaturePedic® Design

G.E.M Testing & Engineering Labs, on behalf of NaturePedic, developed and designed the No-Compromise™ Baby Mattress to address the concerns of parents and doctors as presented in this report. The NaturePedic No-Compromise Baby Mattress has been designed in accordance with the following paramaters:

o NATURAL MATERIALS: The No-Compromise Baby Mattress utilizes cotton, a natural material with favorable qualities and an extensive history in mattresses and similar products. In particular, cotton has low toxicity concerns. Cotton provides for good air circulation while maintaining more even humidity and balanced temperatures. It has the ideal density for firm yet comfortable bedding.

o NON-TOXIC DESIGN: The design of the No-Compromise Baby Mattress strives to eliminate materials which may be toxic, hazardous, or otherwise potentially harmful, as is reasonably achievable.

The following are specifically prohibited:

o NO Phthalates
o NO Vinyl (Polyvinyl Chloride or PVC)
o NO Polyurethane Foam
o NO dangerous Fire Retardant Chemicals (PBDE's, Antimony, Modacrylic, etc.)
o NO Scrap or Pig Hair Fiber Pads

o FIRE PROTECTION: The No-Compromise Baby Mattress is designed to meet and exceed Federal and State Flammability Standards, and exceed such standards by the highest possible margin reasonably achievable. Cotton naturally has a low rate of combustion and does not burst into flames when ignited as compared with polyurethane foam and PVC, eliminating the need for harsh industrial fire retardant chemicals. To maximize fire protection, FlameBreaker™, a non-toxic fire barrier system based on baking soda's unique fire retardant properties has been developed.

o FIRM SUPPORT: The No-Compromise Baby Mattress uses extra firm high coil count orthopedic innersprings, providing the optimum pediatrician recommended firmness and comfort levels. The design also features heavy-duty border rods for extra side and edge support.

More Information on NaturePedic No-Compromise Baby Mattress

Credentials

G.E.M. Testing & Engineering Labs has expertise in environmental assessments, materials & toxicology, and related specialties. Services are provided per EPA, ASTM and other professional protocols. G.E.M. Testing & Engineering Labs is licensed by the State of Ohio, and has been providing professional environmental engineering services since 1984.

BARRY A. CIK, PE, CP, DEE, QEP, CHMM, REM*
Chief Engineer, G.E.M. Testing & Engineering Labs, Cleveland, Ohio

*PE - Registered Professional Engineer, State of Ohio
CP - Certified Professional, State of Ohio EPA VAP
DEE - Board Certified Environmental Engineer, American Academy of Environmental Engineers
QEP - Qualified Environmental Professional, Institute of Professional Environmental Practice
REM - Registered Environmental Manager, National Registry of Environmental Professionals
CHMM - Certified Hazardous Materials Manager, Master Level, Institute Hazardous Mtrls Mgmt

Credentials:

Registered Professional Engineer - PE [#47615]
State of Ohio Engineers Board of Registration

Certified Professional - CP [#109]
State of Ohio EPA VAP

B.S. Civil Engineering, 1978, Ohio State University
Concentration in Environmental and Engineering
Surveys

C.E. Civil Engineering Advanced Professional Degree
1981, Ohio State University
Concentration in Environmental and Engineering
Surveys & Construction Materials

Board Certified Environmental Engineer [#98-20076]
Diplomate Environmental Engineer - DEE
American Academy of Environmental Engineers

Qualified Environmental Professional QEP [#01960005]
Institute of Professional Environmental Practice

Certified Hazardous Materials Manager
Master Level - CHMM [#10795]
Institute of Hazardous Materials Management

Registered Environmental Manager - REM [#05594]
National Registry of Environmental Professionals

Certified Diplomate Forensic Engineer [#681]
National Academy of Forensic Engineers

Note: The above credentials, licenses, and certifications are listed for identification purposes only. No implication is intended that these credentialing authorities or organizations endorse or approve the contents of this presentation.

Affiliations (Past and/or Present):

National Society of Professional Engineers
American Society of Civil Engineers
Amer. Society Photogrammetry Remote Sensing
ASTM Standards Committees (Various)
Academy of Certified Hazardous Materials Mangrs
Air and Waste Management Association
National Academy Forensic Engineers Sr. Member
Association of Independent Scientific, Engineering
& Testing Firms (ACIL)
Professional Firms Practicing in the
Geosciences (ASFE)
Building Environment Council of Ohio
Institute of Professional Environmental Practice
Union of Concerned Scientists
Environmental Health Watch
Ohio Environmental Council
Soil & Water Conservation Society
The Nature Conservancy
Environmental Defense
Natural Resources Defense Council
HEAL (Human Ecology Action League)
American Bankers Association Service Member
Ohio & Cleveland Mortgage Bankers Associations
Association for Commercial Real Estate (NAIOP)
International Association of Corporate Real Estate
Executives (NACORE)

Use the information provided on this site as an educational resource for determining your options and making your own informed choices. It is not intended as medical advice or to diagnose, prescribe, or treat any specific illness.