The 7-Day Allergy Makeover by Susanne Bennett

Author:Susanne Bennett
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Group US
Published: 2014-03-03T16:00:00+00:00

Step 3: What’s in Your Child’s Bedroom?

If you’re concerned about your child’s allergy health, start by making the right choices in the bedroom. Just as in your own bedroom, move all plants and books out of there, keep the closets ventilated, and make sure the curtains and bedding stay especially clean. In addition to these changes, there are a few extra things you’ll want to pay special attention to.

To make the bedroom a safe and comfortable place for your children, follow these steps.

1. PLASTIC TOYS. Most of us grew up with plastic dolls or action figures. But the truth is out, and the evidence for plastic toys is not looking good. Plastics (and this includes your plastic kitchenware, by the way) leach xenoestrogenic chemicals, which are known endocrine disruptors—altering the normal functioning of hormones in the body. Breathing in the fumes emanated by plastics is bad enough. But children—as I’m sure you’ve learned by now if you have any—love to chew on anything they can.

Teething on plastic toys, especially those with bisphenol A (BPA), greatly increases the rate of exposure to these harmful endocrine disruptors. Constant exposure to plastics is not good for respiratory and hormonal health. It can also cause brain fog and poor concentration. There are, however, wonderful BPA-free toys that are just as fun and allergy free. Anything that is all natural, such as cotton or most woods, is better than plastic. Work toward eliminating plastic toys altogether. And beware of the packaging itself. Because most toys come wrapped in plastic, be sure to air them out before giving them to your kids, to give the toxic fumes time to outgas.

2. STUFFED TOYS. Everyone loves a good teddy bear, right? While I would never say to eliminate these toys altogether, it is smart to reduce the number of stuffed toys in your home. Like pillows, stuffed animals attract dust and dust mites and can contribute to sneezing and runny noses. If you do have a lot of stuffed toys, pick a special place for them, away from where your children spend most of their time. Above all, be sure to keep the stuffed animals out of the bedroom. Otherwise, the cost may well be hours spent inhaling dust mite proteins. Let your children play with these toys in the living room, a playroom, or another area far from where they sleep. Also, wash and pop them in the dryer regularly to reduce dust, mold, and mite content.

Action item. For teething babies, use BPA-free chewing toys. For older children, replace plastic toys with nontoxic wooden ones; minimize stuffed animals and keep them out of the bedroom.

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