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Hmmmm we have our whole playroom floor covered in these to protect DS from the tiles underneath - thats 6 sets!! Ours were from the reject shop. DS has put them in his mouth once or twice but doesn't these days.
Our playroom is enormous!!
**goes off to think about what to do**
Hey ladies, if you can come up with a 'safe' alternative to the foam mat let me know please!
Naomi, shikes about your whole entire playroom!! lol.
Thanks so much for the heads up. OurS has been out away this morning until the tests results are released in Australia. Such a shame cause we really like it in our play area!!
Looks like we'll be rug shopping today :)
wow...was thinking a while ago about getting some for DD, our whole house is floorboards so would have been nice to have a 'soft' place for her to play on. Definitely won't be getting any now though!
It is Formamide not Formaldehyde -
from Beijing Today
Popular play mats may endanger children’s health
January 21, 2011 Filed under Health
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By Li Zhixin
In late 2010, Belgium and France passed laws banning the sale of the soft foam puzzle-piece play mats following tests revealing the presence of formamide, a reproductive and developmental toxin.
The International Food Packaging Association Beijing Office (IFPA) said the mats sold domestically also contain this toxin and are harmful to children.
Formamide can damage children’s skin, mucosa and eyes. It can also damage their livers and kidneys, as well as digestive and nervous systems. Long-term effects include weakened immunity, said Xu Ronghua, a doctor at Beijing Children Hospital.
She said children younger than 3 are very sensitive to the external environment, as their skin is thin and tender. Contact with chemicals is one of the most common causes of childhood skin diseases.
“Don’t allow toddlers to be exposed to plastics for too long. Stick to wool and cotton blankets. If you have wood floors, there is no reason to put down a plastic mat,” Xu said.
Soft foam mats are seen in homes, kindergartens, rec centers and restaurant play areas. “We sell more than 400 to 600 pieces per month in our store alone,” said Liu Min, a shop assistant at a local Tiankelong Supermarket.
To prevent children injury, many parents and school administrators choose to pad their floors with puzzle-piece mats. “The marble floor is cold and hard, so I think it is safer and more comfortable for the children if we put down some kind of mat,” said Yang Lihong, a young mother.
Although many young mothers consider eco-friendliness, few can tell which mats or brands are actually environmentally friendly. “All we have to go on is the retailer’s advice,” Yang said.
Play mats are made of ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) and poly ethylene (PE), normally safe and tasteless chemicals. However, to make the mats extra soft many manufacturers add formamide, a common swelling agent. “When too much is added, the mats take on an odd odor,” said Dong Jinshi, the secretary general of IFPA.
However, there is no law regulating acceptable formamide levels in plastic mats and no product description to warn what levels could be dangerous.
“If you choose to put down soft foam puzzle-piece mats for your children, be sure to smell the product. The stronger its odor, the more formaide it contains,” Dong said. “And don’t use mats immediately after you take them home, Put them in a well-ventilated place for at least one to two months to make sure the harmful substances dissipate as much as possible.”
I can't afford a lot of new things, but the benefit is by buying second hand items, a lot of chemicals have supposedly gassed off the items by the time I get them.
Thanks emc2, I just sniffed my mat and it doesn't seem to smell that much really, but it's been on that floor for 2 months so the smell would have disappeared!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG.
Whoops :lol: Formamide - Formaldehyde, my bad :) Forgive my scanning, and ignore my previous post obviously LOL. Or don't but just don't connect it to foam mats lol.
Ahh, Indadhanu, what's the diff??? Formamide, formaldehydedoodledoo whatever, lol, they are both toxic IMO!!!!!
Not exactly sure, emc2 just drew it to my attention so I guess she might know?
Ours is outside on our decking. We put it there because we have a bubble machine, it would go on and the bubbles would splash on the deck, making it slippery and the kids would fall over. The mat has been perfect for that because it's non slip. She doesn't chew on it.
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.
There was a massive pile of them at Reject shop this morning.. $15....Ad and I opened one up.. the smell is VILE!!!! I dont use chemicals, so it nearly knocked us out!!! It was mainly pink edges, with the alphabet on them...
I have never had any.. which is odd with all these kids... :rolleyes:
That's why we bought the bubba mat. They're expensive but worth it!!!
Holly Molly, so glad I saw this thread, just today I looked up in the cupboard and saw the 2nd hand mats we were given years ago and I thought it myself "I might put those out soon" I wont be now though!
Mine (from kmart) don't smell at all and I don't recall them smelling when new :dunno:
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.
I probably wouldn't throw those out so quickly, this is mostly focused on the imported cheaper ones from department stores (I think).:
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.
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.
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.
Interested to know more about this Shanti if you dont mind sharing, since I disposed of our play mats this morning. TIA :):
also interested Shanti since now i am paranoid >.<
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 ( :lol: ) so they have sat there for 18mths or so!!
Will be turfing them now!
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 :)
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!
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....:sick:
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.
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!!:
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 :(
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)
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 :o
Anyone with ideas of something less xxy????
My poor DS is really missing his mat :(
:( 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 :(
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 :(
So is it only bad if they chew it, or is it just being there dangerous too???
SB, I've been told that just bub rubbing on it is not good, something about very fine fibers/particles can come off on skin or something like that.....chewing def. doesn't help. I think bub's skin/eyes can get irritated if they have prolonged contact with the mat. Personally I wouldn't take the chance, I threw mine out straight away.
Scary stuff so glad we dont have them. I would think it can leech and go into the body via skin?
The thing with chemicals is they are EVERYWHERE! Even if you only eat organic home grown food and wear organic clothes the chemicals will still be found in your system so you can not remove them but you can limit them.
I would not let my kids use them personally and when they chew them thats even worse. You will find most plastics to be bad...there is a chemical called Phthalate its is a chemical found in stretchy plastic so little plastic chairs blow up toys etc it is an hormone imbalancer etc especially bad for boys. Teflon is also another really harmful chemical...I could go on....so unless you are going to dispose of most things in your house you can never escape the chemicals.
But this mat thing worries me and I would be disposing them properly just to be safe. :hug: x
ETA Australia is the dumping ground for a lot of stuff which has been banned BPA is banned in so many countries, when USA I think banned it the manufacturers sent it all here to give to our babies!!!!!!! My mind boggles! A great book to read is Slow death by rubber duck. It really makes you think!
i agree, there are chemicals everywhere....i bought some christmas lights this year and couldnt put them on the tree cause they smelt SO bad! they gave me a head ache! In the bin!!!!!
Makes you think about what others deam safe for our babies.
Our mat is in the bin too! Got one of those rugs with the roads on it and DD loves driving her little cars around it! cute! much better than the big jigsaw she used to pull apartand throw all around the house anyway ;)
Beckoes, where did you get your rug from? I have been looking for one for my DD for her b'day :):
Me too beckoes, that sound like a great idea! Our carpet is pretty thinck and long so DS finds getting around it hard. I think those mats you're talking about have very short fibers and easy to move on??
OK, there is heaps on ebay and Spotlight have rolls of vinyl with patterns (plus smaller 1.3 x 90 cm mats I think). With the vinyl, I think it's 1.3 m wide and you can have as much as you want in length. I saw a great rubber backing mat with roads and trucks etc. 2 m x 1.3 m. on ebay, might get it :)
Just google bubba mat.... they're expensive and most people gawk at the price of them but IMO they are totallly worth it. DH and I bought it at the baby expo in 2009 and I've seen them online and some baby stores sell them too I think..... different sizes and prints on them, our's is really cute!! We paid $370 for it but it will last AGES and it's a huge mat.HTH.:
But if you ever see a bubba mat IRL you'll understand why! They don't have the chemicals in them that lots of plastic mats do, they are much safer for babies and toddlers AND are beautifully thick!! Great quality.:
Ours gets lots of use and it's soft for me to sit on (I have a crap tailbone after giving birth!!) and will last through all our kiddies.....