I was so happy when I got this beautiful puzzle mat from a friend. I loved the colors and it seemed like the perfect surface to put the baby gym on. I did notice a funny smell but I ignored it. A few days later a friend sent me a message on facebook. She said that she saw my blog post and noticed my baby girl laying on the mat. She warned me that it’s very dangerous. I immediately did some research and threw the mat away.
According to SAFbaby.com ALL Foam Puzzle Mats have been removed from shelves in Belgium and France due to high amounts of Formamide! Foam Puzzle Mats are a typical flooring in infants and children’s rooms, and even child care facilities and preschools. These pretty puzzle mats have the presence of harmful particles formamide, an industrial chemical carcinogen.
These mats, composed of giant puzzle pieces of all colors are made from a kind of rubbery plastic similar to that used for flooring or outdoor centers gymnastic mats. To make them more flexible, formamide can be added , a substance described as ” harmful if inhaled or ingested, irritating to eyes and skin “, as had already denounced in 2009 for consumer Belgian, Italian Portuguese and Spanish. And children are particularly vulnerable because it is common for a young child to put into their mouth whatever it is they touch. This type of foam is, therefore, especially toxic. It is easy to remove these pieces and put them into their mouths.
The formamide is also one of the substances known as “CMR (carcinogenic and / or mutagenic or toxic to reproduction) for the European Union, as a reproductive toxicant. The use of CMR substances in toys will be prohibited in all countries of the European Union from July 2013 under a directive came into force in summer 2009.
SAFbaby states that the whole ‘formamide free’ statement is meaningless. Formamide is usually tested to ONLY a certain level (10mg/kg) and if it passes that level, then test results say ‘PASS’ which translates to ‘formamide free’. At this time, there is NO 100% formamide FREE EVA foam puzzle mat. The government doesn’t regulate Formamide in the US. What also stinks (literally) is that most of the mats are sold in packaging made of toxic PVC!
I am so thankful to my friend who warned me against this mat early enough to prevent any damage!
DO YOU KNOW ABOUT ANY OTHER HARMFUL PRODUCTS WE MIGHT BE GIVING OUR CHILDREN?
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