I reeeally want to say something but I don't want to be THAT crazy neighbor.

Buy her a big ass bottle of Dreft, put a nice bow on it, and give it to her as a gift. Just tell her you happened to read an article about how it is the safest for babies and tell her you figured she's probably so overwhelmed with a newborn that she hadn't thought much of laundry soap.

And don't listen to the 'mind your own business' folks. If you approach things like this in a positive way, you could really help someone. Or at least you know you tried.

P.S. I have 2 kids and I had never heard of the detergent/sids connection. I had to Google it when I read your thread. It does make sense that being bombarded by chemicals is not good for them. It's not an issue with me and mine because chemicals aren't good for ME, lol I don't use them unless absolutely necessary.

a reply to: seattlerat

What! Crystal meth smoke entering your house? How is that not a battle you want to choose. I've never heard of anything,like this before.

I don't really understand why as soon as a child is involved, people suddenly feel it's their place, nay duty, to involve themselves in your lifestyle.

The reason some of us are so touchy about this subject is we're tired of people walking up to us in the grocery store to see if our children can breathe inside of the chest carrier. Or telling us about the dangers of chemical floor cleaners when "our children crawl around on those floors." Or letting us know about the latest study of cortisone levels in crying infants.

Do you go into McDonald's and tell the adults in there about the health dangers of fast food? Would you warn an adult in the detergent aisle if you saw them buying Bounce? No, because we recognize that's not appropriate. Yet, once we see somebody with a child, we suddenly feel it's OK to give unsolicited advice. Yes, first time parenting is a real struggle, and it can be very difficult to know what to do - which is not helped at all by a bunch of people who feel it is their right to offer you unsolicited and usually conflicting advice.

I for one am not that keen on people using my feelings about my child as emotional leverage to get me to internalize their worries.

I'm just curious since I haven't had an infant in a really long time, do you have information on this? I grew up around people who had rat infested houses and their children never died from SIDS, I was always under the impression that they still didn't have any idea what caused it. Theories, yes, but never any concrete evidence. I don't doubt that chemicals could have something to do with it, and what you suggested, I'd just like to read it. Also, sometimes if you constantly run a dryer the scent goes out of the tube from the house, it's not all inside the house.

reply to: Violetshy


It has to do with chemicals in the bedding environment that negatively impact infant blood gasses, disrupting their nervous system.

www.nomoresids.org...

www.prevent-sids.org...

Plastic covers for the mattresses won't do much if the sheets are laundered with other harsh chemicals as well.

a reply to: kosmicjack

Okay buddy, here’s what you do. (Imho) I apologize if this has already been mentioned.

Type up a friendly anonymous note in which you gently but firmly warn your neighbours about the dangers of fabric softeners and dryer sheets. Inside that note, also include as much relevant documentation/medical articles as you can.

If you wanted to be really creative, you could disguise this note as a Public Service Warning from a local hospital…”Attention new parents…”

Then if confronted, it’s up to you what you do. I, the passive aggressive wretch that I am, would say “I don’t know nuttin about a note, but I have heard that fabric softener can be dangerous to infants. Then I’d ask if I could borrow their sugar and scurry back into my apartment.”
(I also might meow, bark or stomp my right foot 3 times at them depending on my mood)

You know, I must admit my “spidey” senses are tingling…what in the world do you think they’re trying to mask with the dryer sheet smell? All I’m saying is that if a teenage boy can have a fully functioning hydroponic lab in his closet…just imagine the wonders that your neighbours might have? Or perhaps it’s just that my suspicious mind has gone to pot.

Anyways, your conscience isn’t going to allow you to do nothing. So imho, an anonymous note (include postage and send to them if you prefer) is the best of both worlds. Your neighbour can’t be sure it was you, but you’ll know that they have the information. Good luck!

a reply to: kosmicjack

I'd always say Mind your own! However, sometimes it seems wrong to not speak up!

I have a similar situation.
My neighbors have two very young children, and those neighbors have taken advice from the TV about leaving babies to cry.
Their two tots spend at least half their lives screaming their little lungs out!
From 6:30 pm to about 10/11 ish I can hear them screaming for attention. At 4:30 am it starts up again and continues until about 8:30 am. Two sleep times during the day also consist of these poor little tots screaming themselves to sleep.

This has been going on for some months now and many times I've considered bashing on their door and threatening to report them for child abandonment, because that IS the way their children feel, they feel abandoned!
But, its what new parents are now being taught in the uk, that they should not tend to crying babies, and because of that I just know I will be seen as the evil neighbor, and they most likely will be even more determined to prove their method is correct.

But you cosmic, you can do as others have suggested, you can anonymously post info to those parents. Do it!
I'm usually first in the line to shout "Mind your own" but in this case you just might make those parents realize and even maybe save a life because those chemicals are nasty!