How to Prevent SADS

Jesse and I recently went mattress shopping, which we were both very excited about. Our current mattress is in really bad pathetic shape. I was very anti-foam mattress (ones like Tempurpedic or memory foam), but ironically, we ended up buying a foam mattress. Figures. Anyway, we don't have it yet because they were out of stock, but it should be delivered this month sometime.

I'm a total nut when it comes to researching products, so before we went mattress shopping, I had been reading all these mattress reviews except for the ones about foam mattresses, because I just knew there was no way I wanted one of those. So, when we got home, I decided I needed to read all of the reviews about what we just purchased. And of course, I started coming across all of these articles on mattress off-gassing. Recently, the government mandated that all mattresses be sprayed with some chemical to make them totally fire retardant. Well, that chemical is quite toxic. And apparently, the foam mattresses are known for being the worst. So this all led into reading up about the toxins in mattresses and what not. I found some interesting information.

There is debate about whether or not mattress off-gassing is the cause behind SIDS. Some evidence points to yes, while others say no. But, they do know that having a fan on reduces an infant's risk of SIDS by over 70%...and in studies where babies sleep on wrapped mattress (meaning a plastic sheeting cover was applied in which no air could escape from the mattress), there have been zero cases of SIDS. And when you think about it...they say sleeping face down is a no-no, which does kind of make sense if the off-gassing thing is correct, because the baby would basically be directly inhaling the gasses all during the night vs. laying up right with their face away from them, or having a fan on, which would distribute the gasses across the room instead of having them concentrated around the baby's sleeping area. Scientifically, it's unproven, but I think there is enough evidence to warrant looking into this avenue more.

I know I move more into "hippie-nut-job-the-government-is-a-conspiracy" territory every day, but still.... back in the day when they were spraying asbestos on everything, no one thought a thing about it and now today we know they might as well have just implanted cancer cells into everyone. So who knows what things we use today that will in the future be totally prohibited for health reasons. And really, even if the off-gassing isn't the cause of SIDS, surely we could agree that it's not good for any infant to be breathing in toxic fumes.

In light of this new information, and our recent potentially toxic (yet hopefully extremely comfortable) mattress purchase, Jesse and I have decided to make a plan for the prevention of SADS - sudden adult death syndrome. =) Apparently, the "new mattress" smell is actually that toxic fire retardant chemical. So, I think we will leave it in the garage unwrapped for a few days or weeks until the initial smell is gone and it's aired out some. Then, I think we will be purchasing a polyethylene mattress wrap, which would serve two purposes - first, it totally seals off the air in and surrounding the mattress from the air in the room without interfering with the functioning of the foam (which is temperature sensitive and stuff like that) thereby helping me worry less about whether or not we are sleeping on a death bed, and two, it would also protect the mattress. Apparently, sweat really breaks down the foam and is one of the biggest causes of body impression in foam mattresses, so it is highly recommended to use some sort of barrier on the foam mattresses anyway.

So there you have it. I hope we don't regret going with the foam mattress. It was significantly more comfortable in the store than any other mattress we tried, but we also only laid on them for a few minutes. My main worry is that I will get too hot on the foam. Because you kind of sink down into it and stuff, I feel like it would be hotter than other mattresses. And I hate sleeping hot. Yet it felt so comfortable. Hm.

OH! Also, I meant to blog this the other day. I was grocery shopping and had a big craving for salsa. I decided to "splurge" and buy the pre-made stuff (not the canned stuff, the fresh stuff made by the deli that's chilled). I was really looking forward to it. So, I got home, I took a bite, and as I was eating, I thought to myself "This is really sweet. I wonder if they add sugar." So I turned it over and read the ingredients...and what do I find.... CHICKEN FAT (well, as part of chicken bouillon) - What the!?!? In salsa? You would think salsa would pretty much be a guaranteed vegetarian dish, but no. (And also, did you know that many cans of icing are made with beef fat? I always have to check the ingredients now before I buy the premade frostings. Some flavors/brands have it, others don't. But, really, the thought of that while eating a cupcake is vomitous, not just because I'm a vegetarian, but just because.) Anyway, needless to say, I didn't eat anymore salsa and made Jesse take it to work to get rid of it. I am still bitter though. My big grocery store splurge is laden with chicken fat and I am still craving salsa.

So lesson of the week: Check the ingredient list before you buy....in food and in mattresses. =)