Safe Bassinet for Baby

March 6, 2018 by Debra Lynn Dadd

Question from Eugenia

Hi Debra,

I have a question regarding baby bassinets in North America. It has been impossible for me to find a "clean" bassinet for my baby. I wrote to two different companies, Halo and Monte, to inquire about their manufacturing.
Both use plastics and foam in their products.

Halo said this of their "organic mattress”:

The Halo Bassinest is manufactured in China. The mattress that is included with the Bassinest is a standard manufactured polyurethane foam and covered with a polyester fabric cover. Both foams are polyurethane but the Organic mattress is certified for non VOCs. Eco friendly refers to the manufacturing environment. The foams are not sourced at the same factory.

Both the organic and standard mattress share these call outs-

No flame retardants

No harmful chemicals

No vinyl

No formaldehyde

No PVC

Phthalate-free

The organic cotton mattress(sold separately) is made from the finest non-toxic materials with the comfort and safety of your baby in mind. Its cover is made of 100% certified organic cotton fabric with a food-grade, water-resistant coating. Easy-to-clean and stain resistant, our organic cotton mattress also provides a hypoallergenic dust mite barrier. To provide the safe and comfortable support your little one needs, the mattress is made with ECO-friendly foam, uses NO flame retardants and emits NO harmful chemicals. It does not use any vinyl or PVC, and is Phthalate-free. Made specifically to fit the HALO Bassinest with its hourglass shape, it is an ideal safe sleep surface for your little one.

• 100% certified organic cotton cover with a food-grade, water-resistant coating that is easy-to-clean.

• Made with ECO-friendly foam. No flame retardants.

• Non-toxic design is safe for your baby. No vinyl, No PVC, and Phthalate-free.

• Meets the California Section 01350 Standard for harmful emissions.

• Oeko-Tex Certified.

• Hypoallergenic / dust mite barrier.

Monte wrote:

Vintex’s products do not contain any of the following materials :
• Latex
• DEHP (di-ethyl hexyl phthalate)
• BPA (bisphenol A)
• Formaldehyde
• Brominated flame retardants

Vintex’s products do not contain any of the 84 chemicals listed in the REACH regulations. (reference EC 1907/2006, updated 18 June 2012)

The chemicals listed in California Proposition 65 were reviewed. Based the form of these materials in Vintex’s products, and the exposure levels expected from normal uses of the products, there is no requirement for warning labels as described under this regulation. (reference State of California Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, updated 2 Nov. 2012)

None of the materials mentioned in the Designated Substance List are present in Vintex’s products in concentrations greater than the maximum exposure limits. (Ontario Regulation 490/09 – December 2009

The following materials are not intentionally added to any of Vintex’s products : Arsenic, Bismuth, Cadmium, Chromium, Cobalt, Lead, Manganese, Mercury, Selenium, Thallium.

All of Vintex’s products contain less than 10 ppm of Lead, Cadmium, Mercury or Chromium, and less than 20 ppm of Arsenic, as per ASTM D-1976-07, using EPA 3052 digestion.

In addition to the above statements, Vintex products that have the Safe Guard certification (Vintex’s V-Care and SoffTICK product lines, and some athletic products) are lead-free and phthalate-free, as defined by the CPSIA. (Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008)

It looks to me like neither company is making non-toxic bassinets. Is this correct? Would buying one of these bassinets second-hand (3+ years old) have off set some of the chemicals released by these materials?

Many thanks for your amazing help.

Debra's Answer

The problem with this kind of description is that you can say that the product DOES NOT contain a whole list of chemicals, yet it still DOES contain toxic chemicals that are not on the list.

This is why I look at the actual materials present to see if they are toxic.

I would say neither of these bassinets are nontoxic.

Another option is the “Moses basket” which is made of natural plant materials. Often these are painted or synthetic materials are sewn inside. Best to get one that is all natural and add your own mattress and bedding.