There's a growing trend to go "green" in the nursery. The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association said in 2008, 56 percent of total gross shipment dollars were estimated to be eco-friendly or organic.
Neg Mahmoodzadegan is a mother of a newborn baby boy. She said it's important for her family to live a clean and "green" lifestyle. When she got pregnant, she registered for organic baby products.
"It was really important for me as I was pregnant to start researching products for baby that were gonna be healthy for him and healthy for the environment," said Mahmoodzadegan.
She chose Bisphenal A free baby bottles, clothes made from organic cotton and a mattress made without flame retardant chemicals.
"Just 2 years ago the government actually increased flame retardants so that a mattress no longer has to be what use to be called a cigarette burn proof they now have to be torch proof," said Paige Mattson, owner of Blue Ridge Eco Shop in Charlottesville.
An organic mattress can be more expensive. They range from $200 to $500 dollars.
"My sort of philosophy is it's quality versus quantity so may have fewer clothing items that are organic or fewer toys, fewer sheets, bedroom sheets that are organic," said Mahmoodzadegan.
But going green in the nursery doesn't mean giving up all of that green cash in your wallet. Mattson said many green baby products cost just a few dollars. Some teething toys cost $5 and bamboo spoons and forks cost about $3.
"You don't have to spend a lot of money to have healthier products for your child and to get a way form the plastics and the toxins that we're finding in our products," said Mattson.
Reported by Jennifer Von Reuter
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