Foam Playmats-Recent Health Warning

[Amaunet]

Mine (from kmart) don't smell at all and I don't recall them smelling when new

[emc2]

Ahh, Indadhanu, what's the diff??? Formamide, formaldehydedoodledoo whatever, lol, they are both toxic IMO!!!!!

They are but I am sure I've read formaldehyde is a chemical that comes off things like new kitchens and they were using it to treat clothing as well.

Formamide, well one use as it said in the article I posted was to make the foam softer?

Anyway I am getting ready to go out so I will check my facts here and edit later.

To be honest there's chemicals in most "new" anythings we buy. Edited to say things get recalled when there's an excess of chemicals it seems.

[Indadhanu]

We also have the black ones that you buy in camping shops that we have put on the base of our tent. We've upgraded to a camper, but we're going to use the mats for the bottom of the annex, but guess we're going to ditch them now too. And these ones weren't cheap.

I probably wouldn't throw those out so quickly, this is mostly focused on the imported cheaper ones from department stores (I think).

Can anyone clarify - are these the ones with the alphabet on them, or the ones with the alphabet inserts? We got given secondhand ones a few years ago, no idea where they came from but they are the small interlocking ones where the letters and numbers pop out.

[emc2]

Just quickly posting from Wikipedia's Formaldehyde article

Formaldehyde is a common building block for the synthesis of more complex compounds and materials. In approximate order of decreasing consumption, products generated from formaldehyde include urea formaldehyde resin, melamine resin, phenol formaldehyde resin, polyoxymethylene plastics, 1,4-butanediol, and methylene diphenyl diisocyanate.[2] The textile industry uses formaldehyde-based resins as finishers to make fabrics crease-resistant.[11] Formaldehyde-based materials are key to the manufacture of automobiles, and used to make components for the transmission, electrical system, engine block, door panels, axles and brake shoes. The value of sales of formaldehyde and derivative products was over $145 billion in 2003, about 1.2% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the United States and Canada. Including indirect employment, over 4 million work in the formaldehyde industry across approximately 11,900 plants in the U.S. and Canada.[12]

When reacted with phenol, urea, or melamine, formaldehyde produces, respectively, hard thermoset phenol formaldehyde resin, urea formaldehyde resin, and melamine resin, which are commonly used in permanent adhesives such as those used in plywood or carpeting. It is used as the wet-strength resin added to sanitary paper products such as (listed in increasing concentrations injected into the paper machine headstock chest) facial tissue, table napkins, and roll towels. They are also foamed to make insulation, or cast into moulded products. Production of formaldehyde resins accounts for more than half of formaldehyde consumption.

Formaldehyde is also a precursor to polyfunctional alcohols such as pentaerythritol, which is used to make paints and explosives. Other formaldehyde derivatives include methylene diphenyl diisocyanate, an important component in polyurethane paints and foams, and hexamine, which is used in phenol-formaldehyde resins as well as the explosive RDX. Formaldehyde has been found as a contaminant in several bath products, at levels from 54–610 ppm: it is thought to arise from the breakdown of preservatives in the products.[13]




Formamide (pasting bits and pieces from Wikipedia here)

Formamide, also known as methanamide, is an amide derived from formic acid. It is a clear liquid which is miscible with water and has an ammonia-like odor. It is used primarily for manufacturing sulfa drugs and synthesizing vitamins and as a softener for paper and fiber. In its pure form, it dissolves many ionic compounds that are insoluble in water, so it is also used as a solvent.

Formamide is also a constituent of cryoprotectant vitrification mixtures used for cryopreservation of tissues and organs.

Formamide is also used as an RNA stabiliser in gel electrophoresis by deionizing RNA. In capillary electrophoresis, it is used for stabilizing (single) strands of denatured DNA.

Another use is to add it in sol-gel solutions in order to avoid cracking during sintering.

Formamide, in its pure state, has been used as an alternative solvent for the electrostatic self-assembly of polymer nanofilms.[2]

Formamide is used to prepare primary amines directly from ketones via their N-formyl derivatives, using the Leuckart reaction.

You might like to google the articles yourself to read the information on safety.

But something which also makes interesting reading are environmental articles on the environment inside your home.

I have gone back to page 3 and bolded the important parts of the article.

[Manhattan]

That's why we bought the bubba mat. They're expensive but worth it!!!

Interested to know more about this Shanti if you dont mind sharing, since I disposed of our play mats this morning. TIA

[Mum2SweetCs]

also interested Shanti since now i am paranoid >.<

[OceanPrincess]

Ours never made it out of DD's drawers... Bought them, packet said they had to be washed before use, couldn't be bothered washing them all ( ) so they have sat there for 18mths or so!!

Will be turfing them now!

[Miss.B]

I probably wouldn't throw those out so quickly, this is mostly focused on the imported cheaper ones from department stores (I think).

Can anyone clarify - are these the ones with the alphabet on them, or the ones with the alphabet inserts? We got given secondhand ones a few years ago, no idea where they came from but they are the small interlocking ones where the letters and numbers pop out.

Hun, the ones they are talking about are the 'interlocking alphabet/other designs' play mats made in China. I got mine from Kmart and it came in small colourful squares that clicked together and then you had to click in the edges. I imagine the other mats that are similar that were made in China fall into the same category.

Shanti, I'm interested too where you got your mat from, the one that is safe for baby

[OceanPrincess]

Ladies just google bubba mat. They are sold by a crew called Soft Mats, they have a great website (just add the dot com dot au) and the bubba mat is safe for kids, non-toxic and durable.

They are made in Aus, but they are pricey... Be warned!

[Pretty Butterfly]

Yep, the ones Ad and I found today were made in China, said for 3 yrs and up, and Ad just said it also said to wash them with warm water before use... They were the bigger squares, with the pop out alphabet letters....

I seriously couldn't believe the smell of them though....

[Gigi]

i actually bought a Big W 'laptop rester" thingy a few weeks ago, it was in shrink wrap, once i took the shrink wrap off, the item smelt SO strong, i couldn't bear to have it inside the house. So i sat it outside for a week, to "de-smell" it - and it STILL really stunk (in a chemical way). so i took it back for a refund, citing the reason "chemical smell so strong i could not bear to have it near me" - which they accepted.

I put this experience in this thread, cos i'm now thinking "how many OTHER products are made, using these dangerous chemicals?" These strong chemical smells give me migraines, so i have strong motivation to avoid them.

As for other options (when you ditch the foam mats)
- sheepskin rugs (for young bubs who are lying and rolling
- nappy free time mats
- a quilt
- wool floor rug
- cotton floor rug

for the person with the decking that gets slippery, rubber mats - you can get rolls of this stuff. cut out design.

i brought up bilby as a young bub in a place with concrete floors and lino, so i do understand about hard, cold floors. and used pillows/cushions on the floor alot when she was learning to sit up. Having a soft zone in her large playpen helped too.

She grew up in a home with hard floors and no foam mats, we found it do-able.

[CrazyLady]

Crap! I have that one too!! I think I'll put it away until it's confirmed. Thank you for posting!

we have it but I put it away too. I didn't like the look of the dust coming off it when it starts getting a little worn!!

[~Raven~]

I read months ago that these things were banned in Belgium and recently I was out shopping and saw that one particular discount chain had masses of them. Makes me ill to think that we become the dumping ground for this stuff because our authorities are a bit slower off the mark investigating

[Mum2SweetCs]

hmmm that is weird about the bubba mat. I got one the same but the smell was strong too. I think mine is made in china though. Is there a guarantee these are not made in china? i cant seem to find it anywhere on the website (althought i only had a quick browse)

[Miss.B]

Hmmm, I went and had a lookie at the bubba mats made in Australia and when I had a look at the price I fell off my chair

Anyone with ideas of something less xxy????

My poor DS is really missing his mat

[ellasmummy]

i bought DD these for xmas - has been a lifesaver as she gets rashes from bum shuffling across the carpet. it didn't smell chemicaly or anything, but now i am paranoid

[Miss.B]

I would get rid of it hun, just to be safe. I am trying to find an alternative without spending $300. I've got a fairly large cotton playmat on the floor ATM but DS has just started to crawl (more like a forward shuffle on his elbows) and it would have been much easier on his old mat

[~StarBright~]

So is it only bad if they chew it, or is it just being there dangerous too???