It didn’t occur to me until I had Vera that children’s sleepwear is required by law to be flame retardant. This means that the fabric used in these items have been treated with chemicals that cause the product to be “flame resistant and self extinguish if a flame”were to come in contact with it. If the fabric does not meet these requirements, then companies can manufacture sleepwear that is tight fitting must attach a tag clearly stating that it is a non-flame resistant item.
Children’s pajamas are the only clothing product with this requirement, but flame retardants are in other items such as infant mattresses, curtains, furniture, and other household items.
However, testing on these chemicals have shown many of them to be toxic and carcinogenic, and children have been studied for the presence of the chemicals within their bodies with worrisome results. Another interesting read about this topic is provided by Yale University.
After coming across these concerns, I double checked that the fabrics used in any Bourgeois Baby product were treated with any flame resistant or retardant chemicals. I am happy to report that NONE of them are! If you have any questions about our fabrics, please contact me at jamie@bourgeoisbaby.com. And come join the discussion on our Facebook page.
~Jamie
EDIT 11/29/12 ~ I never let a single research attempt satisfy me (I think this comes from my graduate school nerdiness…it really can become a pain in the butt but I remain informed) and was re-researching the manufacturers fabric used in Bourgeois Baby products. So imagine my surprise when I come up with the information that the waterproof PUL is “flame retardant”! How could this be??
Turns out that the lamination process renders the fabric inherently “flame resistant” in CPSC testing requirements. No chemicals are added to give it this properly.
Also, the waterproof PUL used in our bibs is BPA and phthalate free. It also is VOC free, so it does not emit any volatile organic compounds. Triple wahoo! ~J