Latex crib mattresses are an option any parent should consider for his or her newborn baby. One of the chief problems with today's crib mattresses is that they're routinely manufactured with toxic chemicals. If this sounds too awful to be true, these are the facts: since the mid-twentieth century, mattresses have been fabricated with more and more synthetic materials, such as polyurethane and vinyl.

These substances, while an effective cost-cutter for the manufacturer, are somewhat unstable, releasing fumes into the air. Have you ever gotten near new furniture--a mattress, sofa, or even new carpeting--and smelled that "new furniture smell?" That's the smell of polyurethane or polyvinyl chloride vapors, which are dangerous to your respiratory health. For a newborn baby, with its new respiratory system so susceptible to illness and contaminants, they're far more dangerous.

A Safe Start with Latex Crib Mattresses
This is why many parents are vigilant about baby crib mattresses. They want to give their newborns a healthy start in life by keeping toxins away from them. For this reason, latex crib mattresses offer the best in purity and toxic-free materials. Mind you, we're referring to organic, not synthetic latex. Organic latex is harvested from latex rubber trees and contains no chemicals or clay additives.

Companies that sell 100 percent pure organic latex crib mattresses will state that fact clearly on their websites or sales literature. They should also make it clear that any other materials used in the making of the mattress, such as cotton or wool, are grown organically and not treated with chemicals at any point in the process. The benefit of pure latex is not only its freedom from toxic chemicals, but also its natural resistance to allergens such as mold and dust mites.