Avoiding Toxins – Flame Resistant Pajamas
Somewhere along the line, our government decided that our kids should be sleeping in flame resistant self extinguishing pajamas at night. Sounds good at first, but twice (back in the 70′s) it was discovered that the chemicals being used to make this happen were toxic and were pulled from the market.
The chemicals being used today are halogenated hydrocarbons (chlorine and bromine), inorganic antimony oxides, and some phosphate based compounds. Nylon, acetate, triacetate, and natural fibers like cotton and silk require chemical processes. Some fabrics are considered inherently flame resistant and do not require the use of chemicals to meet flammability standards. These include polyester, modacrylic, matrix and vinyon. However, in those fabrics the fire retardants are chemically added at the time the fibers are made in the first place. They are still there, but the experts tell us it’s more stable when added into the actual fiber than when the fabric is treated after it is made.
Carter’s makes snug fitting cotton pajamas that supposedly aren’t treated. Here is a page
To try to sum it up: your first best choice is cotton pj’s that clearly state they are snug fitting and not fire resistant if worn loose, and then polyester clothing that you’ve washed a few times. I usually wash new polyester PJ’s twice in the sink and then let them run through the washing machine two or three times with other loads before I let the girls wear them.
There are a few other options – you can buy fabric at the fabric store and make them yourself, or you can buy cotton long-johns labeled “not intended to be used as sleepwear”. You can also buy comfy short sets for use as pajamas in the summer, and comfy sweatpants or yoga pants and long t-shirts for the winter.
I’m going to put a few caveats in here, though. If you have a fireplace or woodburning stove, or any other source that uses a flame, or if the power is out and you have candles burning, then you need to understand that if your kids brush their arm through the flame and they don’t have flame resistant clothing on, then the clothing can ignite and flame up very quickly.
For me, since we have no open flames in our home, the decision between guarding against contact with a housefire that isn’t likely to happen, and allowing possibly toxic chemicals to touch their skin twelve hours a day… it’s not much of a choice. If we had open flames in our home then I’d have to rethink that one, though, and we’d probably keep it strictly to the polyester items treated when they are made.
When the girls spend the night with someone I send them in the polyester pj’s and not the cotton untreated pj’s, because I can’t be as sure that they aren’t going to come into contact with an open flame.
This is one of those things where you have to weigh the risks in both directions. Look at whether or not your kids have already been exposed to more toxins than the average child, how sensitive your child is to chemicals in general, how likely it is your child will come into contact with an open flame, and then make the best decision you can.
Previous posts in this series:
- Avoiding Toxins – Petroleum Products in lotions and make-up
- Avoiding Toxins – Non Stick Pans
- High Fructose Corn Syrup – why it is bad
.
February 2nd, 2012 at 11:13 am
The flameproofing in nightwear has never made much sense to me. After hearing that there is actually very measureable amounts of the chemicals in childrens blood, I quit buying them a long time ago. We buy cotton, no chemical pj’s or wear stretch pants and cotton tops usually. Also I believe the chemicals wash out over time too. If there is a serious fire in a home, most likely nightwear won’t save you. My niece was seriously injured by climbing up on the stove during the daytime and turning on the burners. She was in daytime clothes. I hope parents will take some of these concerns seriously. Cancer rates are through the sky right now and not just in adults! It is hitting children in alarming rates. There are also many children from China adopted now through the SN program with additional health concerns and the last thing they need is a chemical overload. I find it very concerning as we also have Hep B in the family. Thank you for shedding some light on this subject. I’m generally pretty careful, but weaken too with the way our culture functions. I think we also need to remember building materials. I just found out a friend has serious cancer after living in a brand new home for a year or so. It made me wonder?
February 2nd, 2012 at 11:15 am
When I was in college (late 1970s) I worked in the “children’s lingerie” department at the main store of Lord and Taylor on Fifth Avenue in New York City. I sold children’s pajamas and nightgowns, among other things. Those pajamas were so stiff with flame resistant chemicals that they could stand on their own!!!
When my own children started coming along in the 1990s, I could not bring myself to buy traditional pajamas for them because of my horrible memories of the flameproof suits :-) When they were very little, I used to put them in long johns/thermal underwear rather than flame-resistant pajamas. They were close-fitting, and we have a no flames house for the most part. Since they’ve gotten a bit older, they have mostly worn sweats in the winter and knit shorts/tees in the summer. I find that most of their friends do not wear pajamas, either. When they come for sleepovers, most of them are in baggy t-shirts and undies or shorts. I rarely see a child in pajamas anymore.
February 2nd, 2012 at 12:53 pm
Coming from a country with no regulation on sleepwear (wrt fire) it has always seemed strange to me to have children sleep in sleepwear that is laced with whatever chemicals to make them non-flammable. No way, no how would I do that! I don’t really understand the tight fitting either. Yes, I do know why the regulations were made originally (a bunch of accidents with kids getting their pajamas on fire) but how many kids realistically are today getting close to any type of flame when wearing pajamas? Equally well the daytime clothes should then have the same restrictions, as nowadays I would guess that is a much bigger risk.
February 2nd, 2012 at 1:19 pm
Dear RQ, first off, thank you for all of this incredibly useful information on avoiding toxins. It is fascinating stuff.
On another completely off-topic note, it is possible that the last batch of referrals that started arriving on Jan 19, 2012 hasn’t yet been added to the “Referrals History” chart on your “CCAA Updates and Referrals” page?
February 2nd, 2012 at 5:59 pm
As a person who lost her home to a fire last year, I would hesitate to promote flamable pajamas. Unless you’ve lived through a house fire, you don’t really get how fast everything can go up. We lost it all in a matter of 10-12 minutes.
February 4th, 2012 at 11:39 pm
CH, I couldn’t agree with you more. It seems odd that PJs brag they are flame resistant as if it is a perk. It seems it should be a necessary quality. Why are there flammable materials on anything children would wear?!?!
February 5th, 2012 at 12:58 am
Funny how we all have our priorities. My question is “Why would we ever be okay with toxic chemicals being a part of anything our children would wear?”
February 5th, 2012 at 9:11 pm
Sleepwear from Hanna Andersson is not treated to be flame resistant; they are advertised as long and short johns, perhaps for this reason. My kids are about how clothes fee and vastly prefer the natural cotton of their Hannas. We also buy a lot of American Girl pajamas, which are polyester and feel pretty good on the skin after a few washes.
Melissa, my condolences to you. That had to be an absolute nightmare, watching your home go up in flames so fast. I trust everyone escaped unharmed?
February 5th, 2012 at 9:12 pm
I meant to write my kids are FUSSY about how clothes FEEL agains their skin… sorry ’bout that.