Poisoning our Babies with Plastic Toys

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Plastic Toys are Baby Poison

Plastic baby toys purchased daily by unsuspecting parents contain banned toxic chemicals which could poison our babies.
As we all know, babies put every single thing they get their little hands on into their mouths and that includes the lovely, bright and colourful plastic toys we buy them. But research has now shown that those very same plastic toys could be poisoning your baby every single time they put it in their mouths.
A little known series of chemicals called phthalates, used to soften plastic toys made with otherwise rigid PVC plastic, could be poisoning our children even at the lowest levels of exposure.

Fairtrade Wooden Toys Don't Poison Babies

Liver Damage

Research has shown that phthlates can cause liver damage, birth defects and damage to the reproductive system at low exposure levels. Phthalates bio-accumulate and have been found in body tissue and breast milk.
If your baby puts plastic toys in his or her mouth they could be sucking on deadly poison that could ultimately reach and live in their body tissue!
Three of these potentially dangerous 'toy ingredients' were finally banned in all toys and childcare articles, while another three were banned from use in toys intended for children under three. But even after more than 5 years of debate to come to this conclusion the EU has negated to ban the use of the other two dangerous phthalates from toy manufacture.
It might seem like a great move by the EU to ban at least some of these toxic plastic poisoners, but as the majority of plastic toys are manufactured in the Far East it is difficult to control toys coming into Europe and to determine whether they contain the deadly phthalates.

Swedish Baby Toys are Safe and Non-Toxic

More Toxic Toy Ingredients

Even with this legislation in place, and the subsequent problem of controlling plastic toys coming in from the Far East, there are other toxic toy ingredients ready and waiting to harm your child.
A range of toxic chemicals can be found in children's toys, the label non-toxic on a child's toy does not mean that the produce is truly safe for your child.
PVC requires the addition of more toxic additives than any other major plastic on the market and it is used extensively in toys and games.
To produce a finished vinyl product, a variety of chemicals are added, these additives are generally not bound strongly into the plastic and can be released when the product is used.
Research carried out by Greenpeace has shown that plasticisers and stabilisers added to PVC pose unnecessary health risks to children. Nonylphenol is also used in the manufacture of PVC, a study in 2002 found that nonylphenol can damage the DNA of glands that produce antibodies to fight off diseases.

Safest Toys for Your Baby

The safest alternative is to avoid all PVC toys, buying eco friendly, green toys and games provides the peace of mind that children are not being exposed to these harmful chemicals at a vulnerable age. There are many suppliers of green toys made from natural, child friendly materials, these include wooden toys from sustainable forests, organic cotton toys and recycled paper toys.
Often made by small businesses, eco friendly toys are an excellent way to support traditional crafts, protect the environmenta and of course, protect your child from exposure to harmful chemicals.

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