Toxic PJs?

A Reader Writes The Green Guide:

I am pregnant and would like to avoid buying newborn, infant and childrens's sleepwear with PBDEs or other toxic flame retardants. I am finding conflicting information on the laws and practices surrounding the manufacture of children's sleepwear.

Are PBDEs used as the flame retardant in children's sleepwear?

If not, is the flame retardant that IS used in children's sleepwear considered toxic?

Does cotton sleepwear use toxic flame-retardants (PBDEs or other), or just polyester?

How can I avoid any such toxic flame retardants when purchasing children's sleepwear?

If the label on the sleepwear does not mention flame-retardancy, is it by default flame-retardant or not?

The Green Guide Responds:

Snug as a bug in a rug are words that accompany a tucking into bed. But they'd do well to accompany also the putting on of pajamas—snug-fitting sleepwear, even that made of chemical-free organic cotton, is government approved for fire safety.

Children's sleepwear is required by the Consumer Product Safety Commission to be flame resistant and self-extinguishing. If it's labeled as sleepwear, either the CPSC has approved it or someone's breaking the law (in 2001, Federated Department Stores paid an $850,000 settlement for selling flammable sleepwear). What will the CPSC approve? Two categories of sleepwear: First, standard sleepwear, made of flame-resistant fabric. Second, though, it will approve sleepwear that meets snug-fit guidelines: tapered at the waist, wrists, and ankles; without lengthy trim such as lace, close-fitting all the way through. For example, your basic long johns. Tight sleepwear is less likely to contact flame, and there's less oxygen between garment and skin to feed a flame. Such sleepwear can be as all-natural as you want. However, you have to be conscientious about a good fit—even if you buy your child's other clothes a few sizes too big for room to grow, sleepwear should fit at all times.

This second category is labeled as such: Packages and hangtags will say: "For child's safety, garment should fit snugly. This garment is not flame resistant. Loose-fitting garment is more likely to catch fire." The garment itself will have a permanent tag that says: "Wear snug-fitting. Not flame resistant." Not reassured, many fire-safety groups are trying to have this second category eliminated as unsafe. But the CPSC, in approving of the "tight-fitting" category, notes that neither type of sleepwear will protect a child from a burning house or bed, while either will protect from a small open flame.

Is fire-retardant sleepwear toxic? Most likely not, but it might be uncomfortable because synthetic; the polyester used in sleepwear is a fire-resistant blend, even without additional treatment. In 1977, a toxic fire-retardant called Tris commonly used in sleepwear was banned, and since then most fire-resistant sleepwear has been additive free. We have not found any sleepwear that does use PBDEs as a flame retardant. In any case, washing should dissipate chemical additives, while the CPSC requires fire-resistant sleepwear to be effective through at least 50 laundry cycles—that is, fire-retardancy is generally a characteristic of the fabric, not of an additive that can leech out. Mark Ross of the CPSC said that his commission doesn't allow toxic clothing to be sold.

Which sleepwear to choose? Weigh each side: fire-retardant sleepwear works no matter the fit, whereas organic cotton is certainly more earth-friendly and likely more comfortable. If you're shopping for organic cotton sleepwear, try Under the Nile (www.underthenile.com), Garden Kids (www.gardenkids.com) and Patagonia (www.patagonia.com), among many others.