Healthy Secrets from a French Mom: Baby things

BABY HEALTH ESSENTIALS

I am an engineer who loves to learn, do researches, experiments, science, and who cannot rest until I find the answer to my questions. So, when I ended up at home with a (first) baby, for so many months, she became my field of study (no arm done there I promise ;) and I would spend any time I (did not) have on extensive researches. Of course I would go often (and still do from time to time) to those websites like babycenter, mayoclinic, parents.com, kidshealth.com etc. etc. but not knowing the sources of the articles really bothers me. I thus put a LOT of efforts into reading pediatrics and medical guidelines/articles and recognized health publications/organizations from various countries (USA, Canada, France, UK and even Russia when a friend of mine was able to give me a summary if no translation was available).
After so much energy, I thought I would give a little summary here on some basics I learnt, may you find it useful :)
Note: I will not go into extensive details of why this is so, or it would take me pages, but just a basic checklist with core explanations to keep as a general guideline.

DIAPERS (disposable):

Today most major brands fill their diapers with chemicals so they can be "super absorbent" (It is not always easy to know just looking at it, but if you see a blue/green color inside the diaper, that's a big NO!). Those chemicals used are quite bad, I honestly would not want them on me all day long every day as a start so even less on a new fresh baby! Though it is never 100% proven (you need to know that for a fact like this - or the next ones - to be proven, experiments would need to be conducted for 20-30 years min so that they can "accurately" demonstrate the harm), I am not ready to put my child as part of the test. Those chemicals have reported factors linked with cancer or reproductive issues (and you put them RIGHT in contact with the child's genitals = Yipiii!)
Besides from the super absorbing chemicals, the materials used for the diapers also play a role but, more importantly, I learned that most diapers are washed in bleach or dyed to be whiten.... so yes, I admit I do use (in moderate amount) bleach in my house, but I sure do not want my kid to be wearing bleach residues on her private parts 24/7 (common sense here).
CONCLUSION: I have used Huggies Pure & Natural (which have nothing pure nor natural), Earth Best, Seventh Generation - but I think those 2 are still bleached or dyed, tbc. Finally, I came across some diapers that fit better my level of expectation like Bamboo Nature or Naty by Nature Babycare. The last ones are my favorites for the reason that they are cheaper and I find good deals on amazon (ou amazon.fr pour mes amis francais). So I get them by bulk and delivered for free (even cheaper than the huggies at costco ;). One quick note: you may find that they are bigger looking than the pampers (or other "regular" ones) and that is because they do not have these "super highly absorbent" marketed chemicals, but honestly, do hold as much as their nasty competitors. NB: My baby has NEVER had a diaper rash (although since I was always with her, I would not leave her hours in a poopy diaper either, which would be another reason of a diaper rash ;).

BABY CARE & CLEANING: Wipes, soap/shampoo, body lotion

I remember reading a French national medical publication (from ANSM and shared with the European Commission) where it was proven that in children under 3 years old, the body is not yet able to cleanse itself from toxins or chemicals as their liver was not yet fully functioning the way it is for adult. As a result, whatever you put on them (through skin absorption) or in them (food, water) really does matter: it will go straight to their blood! (no need to explain to you the effects of this). And the younger they are, the higher the percentage of "leakage".

This piece of information right there was a strike for me and made me realize the importance of a baby's environment, and the fact that I am the main responsible for what I am putting her in contact with on a daily basis.
With this is mind, I cannot stress enough the importance on checking the ingredients inside your baby care products. Below are a couple of ingredients to avoid for your babies (and eventually for your entire family - though they may be tough to fully elude):

Parabens - I may not teach you anything here. Parabens are at the center of a huge debate internationally about their "questionable" toxicity to the body. Originally parabens are antimicrobial/antifungal agents used in medicines and nowadays in a vast majority of cosmetics as preservatives. In the case of parabens, the issue is that they mimic the actions of oestrogens and connect with hormonal receptors in the body and can be seen as endocrine disruptors. Some researches have shown the presence of parabens in breast tumors, and others connect them with loss of fertility in men (studies on animals). So why is not forbidden? Well, like everything, it cannot be 100% proven and thus cannot be forbidden (and it will take years of subjects observations to be able to prove such a fact). However it is still limited in many products (especially baby products) in many countries. Also, you should know that parabens are present naturally in some food (blackberries, strawberries, carrots, bee products like royal jelly,...). But like everything, it is all about dosage. Our body is made to be able to clean the "bad" from the "good" only to a certain - what I like to call "natural"- level, afterwards it stays in your body and reacts with your cells.

NB: If you are looking at a list of ingredients, be aware that they are several types of parabens and the extent to which it is absorb by the body is inversely proportional to the length of the chain (in order of increasing penetration, butyl > propyl > ethyl > methyl). Also, some products do not use the term of "paraben" but the actual chemical term of " para-hydroxybenzoic acid" (PHBA) .

Recent discovery and warning: some 'natural' products advertise the use of "Grapefruit Seed Extract"(GSE), that acts as a natural preservative. Several studies have found that actual natural grapefruit seed extract does NOT hold preservative properties but that toxic agents such as benzethonium chloride and methyl-paraben were commercially added by the companies that sell (GSE) at high dosage level.

Phenoxyethanol - This is one a lot less known, particularly in the US. I learned about it first time traveling back to France with my young baby as over there the mention "No phenoxyethanol" was advertised on many baby care products. So it raised my attention big time. Phenoxyethanol, like paraben, is a preservative present in many many cosmetics and personal care products. The effect on health is of course not quite fully known yet but can include : risk of cancer, blood toxicity (e.g. risk of anemia, low lymphocyte count), irritation, etc. As you may have understood, it all depends on factors such as: dosage, whether the product is rinsed or not. However, in the US there is no regulation on the quantity present in cosmetics - and apparently in Europe it is only a"recommendation" - only japan seems to have a restrictive rule. So again I would fully avoid this chemical for babies (again, keep in mind that absorption rate is higher for them) and keep at a minimum for yourself. For information, I found it in baby wipes sold in supermarkets in the US and even in Mustela baby products --> so do not rely on a brand, ALWAYS check the ingredients before buying a product!

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So I see your reaction after reading all this: So what should I get then? Everything is bad, so might get the least, what else to do? I am not going to make my own products?! ... I had - and sometimes still have - the very same reaction :) Below you will find a few of my advices, but if you want to go even further, I know plenty of websites/blogs can recommend doing your homemade baby care stuffs, I am, myself, so far satisfied with what I found.

Baby's butt cleaning

Dry Wipes + Water - On a regular basis, at home, I like to you use dry wipes and a "lavette bottle" (like the ones they give you at the hospital to clean your private area), but you can basically use a "sport" bottle of water. When baby pees, that is all you need to clean him/her: water. As for the dry wipes, I buy them on amazon by bulk, same as the ones they give you at the hospital.
OR - Dry wipes (or flat cotton, but that come out expensive) + Oleao-calcareous Liniment (liniment oleo-calcaire)- You do not really find this easily in the US (or it is really expensive). But in EU it is fairly cheap. A good Liniment is a combination of first cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil and calcium hydroxide solution. Very good for baby care, and this way it keeps baby's butt moisturised, free of irritation.
Wet Wipes - Argh, I still use them from time to time: to clean the poop out of baby's butt (then I go back to point 1. or 2.) and I carry them with me when I am on the go. I have used water when I am outside, but when baby poops this is just not practical enough for me. Very bad stories there lol. However, I do look thoroughly at the list of ingredients before buying any. --> check the Kirkland ones at Costco (at the time I am writing this, no parabens, no phenoxyethanol).
Moisture - My favorite product for everything for baby = extra virgin (raw unrefined) COCONUT OIL. For my US readers, you can find this in big jars at Costco for a good price, for my Europeans fellows, look at the BIO section in your supermarket.

Baby skin care

Again: COCONUT OIL. It is a super oil – containing anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal properties. Not only will it save you money, it will be better for the planet and better for your baby’s skin. You can use it for pretty much everything:

- Rash treatment (anti fungal and can even treat yeast infections),
- Body Lotion
- Cradle cap treatment (I used it a lot on my baby, it worked way better than any other cream)
- Baby massage oil

Note: it is also very good for you (I have used it on my hair), and for your cooking!

Baby soaps

--> see post on How to make Your Own Soap Here

Baby Carrier (front/back pack)

--> subject to come

BPAs