11/05/2019
Why Choose Organic Baby Clothes? ๐๐
Pesticide Use on Cotton Crops ๐ฟ
Cotton is one of the most sprayed crops in the world.
In fact, while cotton only makes up 3% of the total farmed land area, it accounts for 25% of the insecticides and 10% of the pesticides used worldwide, making it one of the most chemically treated crops. Because of these troubling statistics I decided to purchase organic baby clothes to do our part to reduce the amount of pesticides used, but also to help protect our babyโs delicate skin.
There are dozens of pesticides used on cotton crops and about half of them have been named as possible or probably carcinogens by the EPA.
Our last baby struggled with eczema, and I always wondered if it was partly due to being born breech and not getting the same bacterial transfer during the birth process, but I also thought that her clothing might have contributed to the problem since she seemed to react to wearing clothes for a while.
Problems with Processing ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐
If pesticide and herbicide use were the only problem with cotton crops, that would certainly be bad enough, but the problems donโt stop there.
Cotton also requires dozens more chemicals, including bleach, during the long process of turning raw cotton into fiber for clothing and even food. Cottonseed oil, though not technically considered an edible oil, undergoes a long chemical process to become a usable food oil.
Synthetic Fabric & Clothing โฃโฃโฃโฃโฃ
While conventional cotton sprayed with dozens of pesticides isnโt a great option, it is still typically a better option than many synthetic fabrics.
Many synthetic fabrics are made with petrochemicals, plastics and other substances that have been linked to endocrine disruption, hormone imbalance, and even potentially some types of cancer. Sound crazy? Think of all the problems with plastic use in our homes and environment and consider having those plastic chemicals in contact with your bodyโs largest organ for all or part of the dayโฆ every single day.
