Is Flame-resistant Sleepwear Necessary or Harmful?

When my 14 year old was a toddler I was informed by a friend on our local fire dept that being flame resistant meant it did not burn in flames, but it actually made the fabric melt onto the skin. He recommended not to use them for my son. Our solution was to buy little long john's for him. They were cotton, nice and snugly, and slim fitting so he didn't get tangled up in them while sleeping.

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When my children were young I too had that concern and only used cotton sleepwear from Hanna Anderson. They used to have big sales twice a year.
I didn't like the feel of the polyester jammies and thought it probually wasn't good to have chemicals so close to their skin. Some of these laws are not thought through enough. An example of this over zealous behavior is: now having to dealing with over regulations on natural toys and lead testing. Lead testing on toys are important, but the cost of testing natural locally made toys will put them ot of business and there is no lead in them anyway.
So thinking if there is a fire that your child will survive because of their jammies being flame resistant will not stop them dying from smoke inhalation.

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Hi there -
like you I do not like flame-resistant sleepwear. I therefore buy only PJs from Hanna Anderson (note they are not called PJs but long johns and short johns), or bring them back from Germany. Hanna Anderson has a retail store in Portland, and an outlet store in Mt. Park in Lake Oswego. They also have a great web site http://www.hannaandersson.com/home.asp?cchkrd=y

Have a great day

B.

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Lots of good responses already. I was really appalled when I learned about the flame retardant chemicals in the sleepwear. I was really trying to reduce chemical exposure for my whole family (especially my premature twins) and then I learned of yet another thing that I could be exposing my babies to. I prefer cotton over polyester fabrics anyway, especially for sleeping. The polyester doesn't breath very well. We have always now purchased either Carter's, Old Navy, or Children's Place sleepwear that comes in the 2 pieces (long sleeved shirt and long pants). As long as it says "not intended for sleepwear" you know that it doesn't have the chemicals. These are not warm enough for some winter nights, so we layered with plain cotton sweatshirts from Target and warm socks. This worked really well for us and continues to work (my boys are 3.5 now.) You can also pick up the carter's sleepwear at Costco occasionally. Just make sure you read the labels and if it's polyester, it is ALWAYS treated w/ chemicals. When my boys were babies, we used really warm sleep sacks (almost like a sleeping bag) and that really helped to keep them warm. be careful with those too because most are treated w/ chemicals (Halo brand, etc.) We got ours through Little Big Foot and they were AWESOME!!! Here is the link. They are kind of pricey, but I felt they were worth it.
http://www.littlebigfoot.com/faq.htm

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Well I am in the boat of not wanting all those chemicals on my kids :) your choices by law are treated or untreated but snug fitting. Most of the ones that are snug fitting are 100% cotton. Aside from the local thrift store the best place to by new is Costco! They have a great selection of 100% cotton snug fitting sleepwear for boys and girls and they are cheap :) Now I don't know about your kids but mine aren't into snug fit so I buy up 2 sizes and they are just fine, maybe a bit long in the legs but with cuffs it's not a problem. Anywho I know the tags of the flame resistant ones say to not wash with something as it affects the resistance. Maybe you can wash with whatever that is and help reduce it not sure but worth a try... HTH Becky

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I remember hating jammies as a kid because of the non-cotton material that was flame-reatardant! Now, as an adult, I hate them because of the chemicals. I also saw a program that said if your kids' PJs have been washed freqently, the flame retardant gets "dulled" and then the non-cotton/natural fiber PJs have a burn/melt-rate that causes them to burn onto the kid's skin in a fire and causes worse burns than any natural fiber would.

Old Navy usually has packaged PJ sets in all cotton. Like others have said, if they're cotton they have to be snug (to create less room for oxygen to fuel fire if there is one). I usually go up one size for my 2.5 year old, they're still snug but not tight. Costco can be hit-or-miss, the Childrens Place has all-cotton sleepers sometimes (maybe now since it's summer), Carter's stores sometimes (again, maybe now due to the season?).

Hanna Andersson is my favorite. Their products are very well-made and wash well, I have PJs and other items of theirs from my older daughter that look brand new and will look just as nice on my younger daughter when she fits into them.

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HI S.,
I don't think you are being too paranoid at all. Is there a Children's Place near you? They sell cotton PJ's w/o PCB's in them, as does Target. Most of the flannel/fleecy type pjs have all the scary chemicals in them...look for simple pure cotton. No, you can't really wash it out,but it does 'decrease' some with washing. Good luck!

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I understand your concern with the chemicals in these pajamas. I have a different view on this issue now. Just this last week, I survived a terrible fire that destroyed a friend's home. The fire started without cigarettes or matches. I can tell you that the unexpected can happen, even when you think everything is safe and under control. I would suggest that you keep the pajamas as they are or opt for a cotton (less flamable) verison. I pray that you would never need the flame retardant material, but I can tell you when you need them most, it could make a huge difference! Best of luck.

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I remember that problem! I hated the fact that all the PJ's were polyester, I could not find anything that was cotton. The thread it was sewed with was also nylon, like fishing line! My step-daughter wore all her PJ's inside out. I talked to a friend of mine that was a Fire Marshall, his recommendation was to always wear cotton. Cotton doesn't melt, or burst into flames. It smolders. When my kids were big enough they wore T-shirts to bed. When they were small I made their PJ's.
You aren't they only one who hates the idea of those chemicals being on their childs body. It isn't right. We don't have to wear polyester or any clothing that is based on plastic.

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We've put our son into snug fitting cotton pj's from Old Navy and The Children's Place. Here's a nice article on the issue:
http://www.essortment.com/family/flameresistant_sknw.htm

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I personally am against all the chemical exposure we face on a daily basis and anything that we can do to reduce that exposure is a positive. There is a lot of research showing a direct correlation with SIDS and the chemicals in baby mattresses, that's why babies now are supposed to sleep on their backs, to keep fresh air around their faces. But engulfing them in chemical laden clothing overnight can't be good. We purchase 100% cotton pj's and if there's any doubt we go with organic ones.

If you are handy with a sewing machine, you can buy some cotton or flannel and make them pj's, the fabric will say not to use the fabric for pajamas on it. (This is the fabric I grab because it doesn't have the fire retardants.)

I also find comfortable clothing that doesn't present any hazards and use those as pj's as well. ANd then during the Summer, many nights it's too warm for pj's, so it's a diaper and nothing else.

If you are concerned about fire and safety, we have exit plans done, we are also near 2 bathrooms, so we can dampen a towel and wrap it around us if we need to get too close to flames and are worried about burns or clothing catching. But like you, we don't smoke or use candles at night or unattended (usually only during a power outage) and our risk is low.

There is just too much cancer, autism, ADD, ADHD, etc, etc going on to make me feel comfortable allowing excessive exposure to chemicals that can create problems long-term and enough research hasn't been performed to tell us the risks.

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I buy 100% cotton sleepwear in 2-3 sizes big. I don't like the sweaty polyester, and believe that the skin tight sleepwear is not necessary. My kids are never around fire, especially around bedtime. Maybe this attitude is a little lax, but I have a fire alarm in each room, which we check often, as I feel this is a more critical step in protecting my kids.

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I personally prefer the PJ's without the chemical flame retardants. The only ones I buy that have it are the fleece wintertime ones and as far as I know most of them have to have it since they are not snug fitting. Most regular cotton stretchy pajamas do NOT have the chemical in them, I just buy them a size larger (my daughter is wearing 3T size PJs and 2T regular clothing). Since the wrists/ankles of the PJ's are snug it doesn't matter if they are a little big. I get Carters and Childrens Place PJ's and they do not have the chemicals. The tag will say if they are flame retardant or not. Just a tip, if you get the zip-up one piece PJs and they are too big you can put a small hair scrunchy around the ankle and it keeps them from sliding off the foot.

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I wish more moms would express this concern, and not just to each other, but to legislators and manufacturers, as well. Here's just one quote about this health hazard:

"Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE's), also known as brominated flame retardants, have been added to many common products found in the home. Plastics and textiles are usually treated with PBDE's before being made into carpeting, furniture, casings for electronic equipment, circuit boards and clothing. PBDE retardants have been in use since the 1970's when their counterpart, PCB's, were BANNED from production due to their undeniable negative effects on human health. PBDE's are very similar to PCB's in many ways, particularly in the damage they do to our thyroid function, immune system, brain development and in our growing cancer rates." http://www.aircleaners.com/toxic.phtml

That paragraph is drawn from a site that sells air cleaners, but the toxicity is well documented, and new research keeps appearing in science journals. As a senior citizen with rather severe chemical sensitivities (the result of a lifetime of "small" exposures), I keep everything that I bring into my home as simple and non-toxic as possible.

I have had retardant-free mattresses for over 20 years, and bought one for my grandboy's crib when he was born. They are expensive, and you have to get a doctor to prescribe them, but these chemicals and others are ubiquitous. Considering how much time humans spend sleeping (and what a severe impact sensitivities can have even on our ability to sleep well), that seems an especially worthwhile area to make every attempt to keep exposures down.

(Anyone interested in a retardant-free mattress might check out Mulligan Mattress in Portland < http://www.mulliganmattress.com/ > for well-priced, super-comfy natural latex mattresses. They'll last a minimum of 20 years and are in theory biodegradable, so don't have to become part of the overloaded waste stream.)

I'm so glad you care, and have put this question out in the public eye.

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The Children's Place (http://www.childrensplace.com) sells these great footie pajamas that are called "Stretchie" that are all cotton and have no flame resistant chemicals on them. The main thing is they need to fit snug so they are safe. They are our favorite footie PJs and usually are on sale.

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My daught weirs snug cotton PJs. you are really close the Hanna anderon outlet in Woodenville. They have great organic cotton PJs!

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I don't think you are paranoid. I have read that woman have found that chemical (unnessary chemical in my book) in breastmilk. So, I have not bought PJs with chemicals in them. They sell at Carter's PJs that now say if they don't have it in them. Check it out carefully. Also, I bought woolies, which are a soft wool made in Finland for my infant, when she was that young. Wool is naturally flame resistant, versus nylon/polyester and even cotton are not naturally flame resistant...but if you don't have baseboard heaters I don't think you need flame resistant at all.

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From what I understand, the first time you wash jammies that have the flame resistant chemical, the chemical doesn't work after that, although there is still residue of the chemical. Think about it this way, the composition of the chemical changes when you add heat, water and soap:)
It is up to you to decide if this is a problem for your baby, but if you do want to buy non chemical jammies, I can only recommend finding some online stores or natural baby lines in your area.I am not familiar with Bothell, WA, sorry!:)

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As I understand it, manufacturers in all states are mandated by law to treat all chilcren's pjs with a flame resistent product.

If you want to have chemical free pjs, I suggest putting together pieces of clothing that aren't designated sleep wear. For convenience and appearance we have used other items for sleepwear. T-shirts, bicycle shorts, light weight pants, either knit or wovenm, are examples.

My grandkids don't like tight sleepwear and I think that the law also mandates that children's sleepwear be cut so as to be close to the body. When we do buy clothing designated for sleepwear we buy larger sizes so that they aren't tight. My granddaughter now has sleepwear that is the correct size to fit and won't wear them. She seems to have reached the size that a couple of sizes larger are way too long and too big in the waist. Her preferred garment to wear for sleep is an adult's size lg T-shirt. She's 9.

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Hi S.
even though you do not smoke house fires do happen. I have not heard of being able to wash out the stuff but if you buy material from stores and make the jamies there will not be flame resistant
Pauls

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My son is 2 1/2 years old. About 9 months ago, I discovered the pajamas at The Gap. I love them because they are 100% cotton and are very comfortable. The 2 piece style fits his body type very well. We always purchase 1 SIZE LARGER (i.e. he is wearing size 3 in pajamas in comparison to size 2 for clothing). Typically can find them on sale or reduced price at the end of season for the following year. I also buy them from Gymboree on sale as well, but I like the fit from The Gap better.

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