Babies and infants are much more sensitive to what we put on their skin than adults. 

The baby clothes we usually find in retail stores or online have often been treated with industrial chemicals that may be harmful (even when you read 100% cotton).

The majority of these have never been tested for safety and have been linked them to the rise of noncommunicable diseases in infants over the past three decades — including asthma, obesity, learning disabilities, autism and diabetes.

Babies Are Highly Vulnerable To Toxic Chemicals

Babies and infants are especially sensitive to toxic chemicals. The impact is greater in early development — during pregnancy and early childhood — because:

• They experience greater exposure – relative to their body size and given their more permeable skin, infants absorb much more of their environment than adults. This is exacerbated by their behaviors as they constantly put things in their mouth and explore their environment.
• They are more vulnerable – as their bodies and brains are still developing, they are less able than adults to naturally break down or eliminate chemicals absorbed into the body. Their developmental process is delicate and can be easily disrupted.

Baby Skin Is More Permeable Than Adult Skin

A large part of what children absorb in their body happens through the skin (the rest is food, liquid and air — gastrointestinal and respiratory absorption). Our skin is our largest organ. It protects us, helps regulate our body temperature, and plays many other essential functions. It also absorbs a lot of what we put on it.

Babies have thinner and more permeable skin than adults. While it has the same number of layers — three — each layer is thinner for a baby. The epidermis layer — the one tasked with protecting our body — is three to five times thinner than an adult’s and is made up of smaller cells.

As a result, it is less resistant than adult skin and substances that come in to contact with baby skin are more easily absorbed and penetrate into deeper skin layers.

How To Choose Clothes That Respect Your Baby’s Skin

Awareness about organic food has been growing among parents in recent years. However, the the impact of chemically-treated baby clothes hasn’t been discussed enough despite the potential long term health consequences on infants. In recent years, scientists found widespread use of potentially harmful chemicals in children clothing.

The baby and children clothes we find in retail stores or online are usually made of cotton, polyester (and other synthetic fibers), or a combination of the two. Conventional, non-organic cotton is often considered the “world’s dirtiest crop” as it uses about 16% of the world’s insecticides and 7% of pesticides. Polyester and other synthetic fibers, on the other hand, are derived from petroleum and treated with thousands of potentially harmful chemicals during production.

The best and safest alternative for your baby today is to choose clothes made of organic cotton that is certified to organic standards across the entire manufacturing process. Organic cotton is grown naturally and sustainably, without herbicides, pesticides or any other harmful chemicals. Choosing organic means limiting your baby’s exposure to potentially harmful chemicals found in non-organic clothing.