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Remember when the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) changed its guidelines for pat-downs for young children. There was quite a bit of uproar and outrage by parents. They didn’t like strangers touching their children. It was not safe.
I don’t blame them. I wouldn’t want strangers touching my kids either (and they are both grown!) But are dust mites touching your kids? Are dust mites sleeping with your kids every night?
I chuckled to myself and wondered, exactly how many of those parents who were so outraged gave any real thought to what was in their kid's beds. “No Mr. TSA, you may not touch my child. But when we get home I am going to let her go to bed with 10,000 dust mites” “Ms. TSA, you may not touch my baby boy because it is dangerous, but at Grandma’s house I am going to let him sleep on a mattress that has been treated with all sorts of toxic chemicals.”
I would venture a guess that the child is more likely to suffer ill effects from the dust mites or the chemical fire retardants in their mattresses than their brief encounter with a TSA agent.
But you can see the TSA agent, the danger is visible. Those nasty dust mites are microscopic and you can’t see or feel them, but they are there. Their dead body parts and feces just waiting to cause problems with allergies, asthma, or eczema.
The chemicals used to treat mattresses are also invisible. If you have a sensitive nose, you might be able to smell them if the mattress is new. But, they are still there, waiting to cause respiratory problems and worse.
Some of the fire-retarding chemicals are suspected to cause cancer. Those threats are more real than the TSA, but dust mites sleeping with your kids seem less of a threat because you can’t see dust mites.
Have you ever moved an old mattress? Gosh! They are heavy, aren’t they! That is the combined weight of all of those years worth of dust mite bodies, feces, and your skin. If you haven’t lifted a new mattress lately, you will be surprised. They are light. That is because they have limited numbers of those nasty critters in residence.
Those are the same nasty critters in your child’s bed.
Doesn’t it make sense to protect your child? You can use an allergy-proof mattress cover to protect against dust mites, their allergens, and even bed bugs.
You may also give some thought to organic mattresses. Yes, they cost more to purchase, but what price is peace of mind? There are several manufacturers making quality products and the price just might surprise you.
BTW - Don't forget about the stuffed toys they sleep with every night. Just like pillows, they can collect dust mite allergens as well. Take a minute to read our post on how to get rid of dust mites on stuffed toys.
Til Next Time!
Cheryl
Additional Reading
Back to School Problems: How Kids Can Combat Allergies in School