This is a partnered post.
All the benefits of modern life and human experience have brought about wonderful things, but not without the occasional misstep.
Once, asbestos was seen as the miracle building material that was going to revolutionize lives. Building was going to be cheaper, easier, and far less expensive – until everyone realized that asbestos causes terrible lung disease. Lead is another material that was once applied to anything and everything, from candles to kids toys, and has since been proven to be toxic.
As a parent, reading the above might give you a chill down your spine. Although those are historic cases, it’s impossible to quell the voice in the back of a worried parent’s mind. What products could be on sale today that will tomorrow be proven to be harmful?
There’s no way of looking into the future and knowing for sure what is permanently safe, but there are a few common chemicals and substances that it might be best to avoid. That doesn’t mean they are inherently toxic, but they are harsher on the delicate system of a youngster. You want to be sure that everything from the food they eat to their teething toys is as good, pure, and toxin-free as can possibly be – so it might be wise to give these things a miss…
1. Ammonia
There’s no doubt that ammonia is a potent cleaning fluid. It’ll get things cleaner faster and with more ease than almost anything else, which is why it’s found both solo and as part of detergents.
However, it’s not a particularly friendly chemical – touch it without gloves and you’ll soon see why. In the early stages of your child’s life, you might want to use other alternatives just to be sure.
2. DEET
There is a lot of argument about DEET. Some studies have concluded the compound – which is most commonly found in insect-repellant – is completely harmless. Others have concluded the exact opposite, suggesting it might be toxic and have an impact on the development of young children.
Given that there are so many alternatives to using a DEET-containing repellent for insect control, this definitely seems like one you can live without.
3. BPA
BPA is the abbreviated for the chemical compound Bisphenol-A. This chemical has come under much scrutiny in recent years, and the results aren’t looking good for BPA. It’s used in a wide variety of applications; you’ll find it on receipts and paper towels, but it’s most commonly associated with reusable plastic food containers. BPA appears to leach into the food that is placed inside of it, which is a huge concern considering it has been linked to hormonal problems, stunted growth, and even certain forms of cancer.
You might often see products labelled as being “BPA freeâ€, which might not be any better – the other plastic chemicals don’t stand up to great health scrutiny either. It’s better to steer clear of plastics altogether, opting for glass or stainless steel for food storage – better to be safe that sorry!
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