Setting up your baby’s nursery may be one of the most important things you do before bringing your baby home. It’s where your child will spend much of their time as babies spend almost half their time asleep. Knowing this, you will want to give your baby the safest, cleanest, purest room possible. This means doing your research on a great many things and we hope to make that process easier for you here.
The Paint
The biggest thing you have to look out for when using paint in your baby’s room are VOCs (volatile organic compounds). VOCs are gases that are emitted from certain solids or liquids, and these gases can harm you and your baby (even after the paint fumes clear). When you paint any room, most paint will give off paint fumes which can endanger an unborn fetus and it can usually take two to three days for paint fumes to completely air out. However, just because the fumes have cleared doesn’t mean the VOCs have gone with them! VOCs are always present in the air after painting.
Therefore, it is so important to ensure that you use low or non-emitting VOC paint. Luckily, Activa Coating is VOC free and actively works to cleanse and purify the air while you’re painting. While we still don’t recommend painting if you are pregnant, you will be safer to do so with our paint as it emits no fumes and no VOCs. This is perfect for you and for baby.
With a paint like Activa Coating that doesn’t emit VOCs, even after you have finished painting, your baby is at a lower risk for developing liver, kidney, and central nervous system damage. The EPA outlines the risks of VOCs here. You will rest easier knowing that when you use Activa Coating, your baby will breathe the purest and freshest air possible, each and every night. Our paint actively works to help prevent mold, fungi, bacteria, viruses, pollution, and other microorganisms through a process called photocatalysis. Give your baby their best chance to develop healthy lungs and a healthy immune system by giving them a room they rest in peacefully.
If you want to learn more about the photocatalysis process and how our paint can help keep your baby’s air pure, watch this short video.
The Furniture and Flooring
When considering the furniture and flooring in your baby’s room, you will want to make sure that you choose items that have low-emitting VOCs. For example, the furniture in your baby’s room should be made of all hardwood and not treated with chemicals. Things like particle board and plywood contain chemicals such as formaldehyde which is a substance known to cause cancer. Luckily, Activa Coating can be used on more than just walls! Using Activa Coating on your baby’s furniture, in addition to the walls in their nursery, will help protect them from VOCs as well as other air pollutants.
Wall-to-wall carpet may seem the most practical for a baby’s room, but that doesn’t always mean it is the safest. However, there are ways to make carpeted rooms safer for baby, such as using Activa Coating and carpet washing. Be aware that carpets can harbor allergens like dust mites, pet dander, mold spores, and other toxic gases so if using carpet is important to you, or unavoidable, make sure to protect your baby against harmful pollutants as best you can. An easy way to do this is by painting their walls and furniture with Activa Coatings so our paint can workday and night to purify the air they breathe and keep them safe.
Health Effects of Indoor Air Pollution
When your baby is born, most of their body is still developing, especially their lungs. In fact, 80% of your child’s air sacs (called alveoli) develop after they are born. These air sacs are responsible for grabbing oxygen from the air entering the lungs and transporting that oxygen to the blood stream. This is where air pollution can have an extremely negative effect on the development of lungs.
Children who live in areas with more pollution can have a more difficult time developing their lungs; essentially, pollution stunts the alveoli’s growth. When children have less polluted air to breathe, their lungs are able to develop more fully, and they are at lower risk for developing respiratory illnesses such as asthma.
Having a baby can be scary and stressful, no matter if you are first time mom or an experienced mother. All babies present new challenges, so take some of the stress and fear out of the equation. Paint your baby’s room and furniture with Activa Coating and rest easy knowing your baby is in an environment that is pure, clean, and fresh.
