Foam Playmats-Recent Health Warning

[Miss.B]

Oh hun, be kind to yourself, how could you have known? I am so over the top careful with everything too, but I honestly didn't see this one coming!! I should have known not to trust anything from China!!! But then again, isn't everything made in China these days????? Besides, we still don't know if that foam is toxic, but something in my gut tells me that it is

[willow5]

Thanks Miss.B. I thought the same too, how stupid to trust something made in China, but to be honest I don't know if I even checked Like Rory said about the formula and melamine as if they're worried about a foam play mat. Well I've pulled it up now and it or they rather, I have 2 of them can go in the trash pack in the morning. I won't wait for tests, like you my gut says get rid of them! Thanks again for posting, I didn't see the articles at all.

[Miss.September]

These are the big alphabet rubber mats where they lock in together like a jigsaw puzzle and the letters can come out???????

[willow5]

These are the big alphabet rubber mats where they lock in together like a jigsaw puzzle and the letters can come out???????

Yep they're the ones.

[Miss.September]

Bloody hell.

[willow5]

I know!

[Gigi]

plastic is made from petroleum, think about how baby toys and gadgets are made from plastic. (fumes)
think about how much baby stuff is made from PVC (fumes) - bibs, nappy change mats, nappy bags, change table foam mats covered with pvc, mattress protectors for the cot/bed, toys.
i put foam baby stuff in the same catergory.

a baby can't read, so i don't get teh ABC 123 idea. a baby needs textures and smells to explore, things to grasp, things to gum on - i don't understand why foam mats are seen as a positive thing for a baby to play on. It's been widely understood for years, that babies can die, thru swallowing the little balls of foam inside beanbags. it's not a huge stretch to think that sometimes babies/toddlers would take a piece of a foam mat and break it/snap it into smaller pieces, which they might put in their mouths - - -

this topic is a mystery to me.
just because a baby product is produced, manufactured and sold, does not mean it is necessarily a good idea for a baby, or even SAFE for a baby.

I never realised (before i had a child), how LITTLE baby products are monitored. it's a capitalist society, i know, but i had naively assumed that there would be rules to make sure only SAFE products were allowed to be sold. i have since discovered so many things, that contain dangerous toxins, are sold in containers that are not childproof that should be, so many toys made out of things that i believe are harmful or potentially harmful for children.

Having a child, has made me explore things, in a way i never did before, because now, i am not just responsible for me, i am responsible for a growing little person. And that has made me investigate stuff on a whole deeper level. Not as much as an activist or consumer advocate would, but much more than i ever had before in my life.

[Gigi]

i googled for this issue and found this

"
Kidsafe Victoria has prompted an investigation into the safety of Chinese-made children's foam play mats after they were banned in France and Belgium.
The popular interlocking foam mats, with alphabets and other designs, have been found to contain formamides which have been linked to cancer.
Formamide is also toxic to the reproductive system and can pose harm to fetuses and infants and exposure can cause eye, nose, throat and skin irritation.
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Kidsafe Victoria president Dr Mark Stokes says the ACCC will begin testing the mats to see if they are safe for children.
"Children should not be exposed to high level toxic products," Dr Stokes said.
"Young children are potentially at most risk as they have a tendency to place everything in their mouths.
"Tests need to be conducted to see if these toxins are present in products available in Australia, and if so, in what levels."

[RainbowBrite]

That is really bad isn't it...I am sure there are 1000's of these things in homes
I was going to get some but didn't like the smell of them...they smelt a bit chemically.
I am glad now.