About Sudden Infant Death Syndrome And Mattresses

MESSAGE FROM GENEVIEVE SALCE - ORGANATURE® BUSINESS MANAGER

We take baby safety very seriously. 24 years ago, before the business was founded, my niece died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and we know that the mattress she slept on was firm. We also know that she was surrounded by formaldehyde, fumigation and other chemicals in her conventional bedding. This was one of the many factors involved in the inception of Organature® back in 2004. I put my baby on our organic cradle, cot, bed mattresses, and use our organic bedding etc. and every night I sleep soundly, knowing that she is not breathing in all those chemicals commonly found in conventional bedding and mattresses.

My daughter Marley has always slept on Organic Cotton Mattresses and I love them, but I'm convinced that chemicals are a major cause of SIDS, not the firmness or softness of a mattress. Poor Mums these days are so brainwashed.

One of my girls at work is Chilean, and a few years back she showed me a photo of her cousins baby in Chile in a cradle, surrounded with blankets, bumpers, and toys (all the things that The SIDS Foundation currently say not to use). Apparently this was a normal baby bed and she was saying that SIDS just isn't a thing in Chile. It may happen there – but very rarely. I wondered why, when apparently all SIDS Foundation research leads to all these items being a smothering factor. After a bit of conversation, she explained that in Chile, village life is still the natural way of life and everything is kept and handed down from generation to generation. So these babies are sleeping in products that are not only old so have off-gassed any chemical – but were probably never made with chemicals to begin with. You see, a majority of chemicals in use these days have been introduced since World War II. Our Mattresses are made without chemicals of any kind and we have been making and selling them for around 15 years with 100% safety record. (All manufacturers of cot mattresses are automatically informed if an incident occurs while someone is using their product.)

Organature® Manufactures Above Organic Certification Standards

The Link Between Conventional Bedding And Chemical Sensitivity

MESSAGE FROM PETER BYL - ORGANATURE® FOUNDER

For many years I worked in a family business, manufacturing, wholesaling and retailing "conventional bed linen, bedding and curtains" and slowly came to know what was wrong with the textile industry in Australia, after suffering with severe Chemical Sensitivity and Debilitating Lethargy. I discovered first hand the negative effects from the many chemicals these products contained, some which are nerve toxins; and THAT is what exacerbates SIDS, not the softness, or firmness of a mattress.

Because of my ailments and my own experience with the many chemicals in the conventional bedding and linen trade, I decided it was best to change over to a 100% Organic Cotton and Australian Hardwood Bedroom. Since then, our lives have improved out of sight. I no longer suffer with hay fever, asthmatic condition, allergies, sinusitis or migraine type headaches.

The results from changing over to a 100% Organic Cotton and Australian Hardwood Bedroom were so incredible, it inspired me to help others feel better by reducing their exposure to chemicals too, and we have been doing that, since 2004.

After a great deal of research, learning the hard way and testing to find out what relieved my symptoms and what didn't, here’s why we opted to go for a 100% Organic Cotton and Australian Hardwood Bedroom.

• The Latex in conventional mattresses is produced using chemicals which have proved to be potentially debilitating for some people.
• Memory foam (or foamed rubber) has fillers similar to, or the same as talcum powder. This ‘unnatural’ latex in your mattress, together with the synthetic outer fabrics and other synthetic components inside the mattress, does not allow the body to breathe properly. We have since been informed by clients that they have also suffered with overheating and perspiration problems using mattresses such as these. Shedding of moisture builds up inside the mattress and promotes mould growth too, just another thing to cause allergic symptoms and make you sick.
• Some mattresses and futons are frequently referred to as "natural" bedding; but natural does not mean without chemicals. In many instances these mattresses contain plant products which are imported and according to the Australian Quarantine Inspection Service Regulations, plant and tree products must be fumigated. During some in depth research I was informed that in some instances this fumigation is done overseas prior to shipping and sometimes again when it arrives back in Australia.
• Cotton in conventional mattresses is sprayed with chemicals during growing, and before picking it is sprayed with a chemical to defoliate. (Agent Orange was used to defoliate in the Vietnam War!)
• Bamboo textiles are synthetic, not certified organic. Bamboo fibres must be converted with chemicals to produce the yarn. This makes the process ’manmade’ and therefore synthetic, not natural and certainly not certified organic. Bamboo the plant is anti-bacterial; bamboo textiles are not anti-bacterial because the chemical treatment destroys the anti-bacterial function.
• Wool often comes from farms where chemicals are used on pastures and on the sheep. Many people have allergies to wool, even to organic or biodynamic wool. The wool is not certified organic and therefore you have no guarantee that it contains no harmful chemicals.
• “Poly” and plastic products (used in waterproofing) are laden with petro-chemicals and it's common knowledge that they should be avoided.
• Fire retardant chemicals are frequently added to mattresses by manufacturers. These chemicals are classed in Europe as cancer causing. Retailers promote fire retardants as a sales tool and some tell their customers that it is a requirement by law which is false and thankfully, is not a requirement in Australia.
• People who suffer with allergies are also allergic to pine, eucalypt and tea-tree because, even though they are natural materials these plants are classed as volatile. It is the oil in them that make them so. Same for timbers like Cedar and Cyprus.
• Most conventional wooden furniture is made using toxic glues and finishes. Imported timber must be fumigated before it can enter the country. While researching, we found that MOST timber products sold in Australia are imported, the majority are made in China. One company we researched makes their products in Australia from imported timber, these timbers ARE fumigated. Australian quarantine regulations requires fumigation of all timber and timber products. Fumigation chemicals are harmful to health, and a possible cause of SIDSs. Other timber products are also made here with MDF and plywood full of formaldehyde, another cause of SIDS? Glued and finished with petro-chemical paint and stain, another cause of SIDS? — It’s not worth the chance for anyone.

You see, it was in the mid 1980’s that I began to understand that my constant state of ‘un-wellness’ was not due to ‘the flu’ or to ‘stress’ as doctors would have me believe. Nor was it ‘all in my head’, an accusation I found very hard to deal with. I was in a constant state of fog, lacking in energy and motivation but trying desperately to continue running our family conventional bed linen and curtains business.

Day after day I would go into my office and with my head on my desk, wait for the day to end.

Eventually I was referred to a doctor who dealt with E.I. (Environmental Illness) as it was then known, and my world changed. While this doctor undoubtedly set me on the right path there was at the time very little known and even less accepted, about the effects of the dangerous cocktail of chemicals which we breathe, eat and absorb through our skin all day, every day. I realised that my working environment was making me sicker. The chemicals formaldehyde, phenol and trichloroethylene 111 (later tested and proven ‘with blind and double blind testing’ to be a main cause of my ‘sensitivities’) were an integral part of my workplace back then. I was not helping myself in the home either, where we were using the same commercial cleaning, home and personal products that most consumers use.

Inevitably my state of health required that I give up work in the “conventional bedding and textile trade” and eventually closed down that first family business. I could no longer socialise, go to the theatre, go out to restaurants or in short, go where other people went. During the next 10 years I spent in forced retirement, where I virtually became a recluse, reading and researching everything I could find on this debilitating illness. I had no computer and even the simple act of reading a book was fraught, necessitating the ‘airing off’ of any and all reading materials before I could begin. Even the ink on the page made me feel sick.

My most important achievement during this time was to create for myself a totally organic cotton bedroom, a ‘safe haven’ I could escape to. This in itself was a problem as there was nowhere here in Australia that I could purchase organic cotton bed linen, let alone a mattress that eased the debilitating symptoms I was experiencing. We had to make them ourselves!

Well, every cloud has a silver lining.

Those ten, long, incapacitating years were rewarded with the knowledge gained and the return to (almost always) good health PLUS the ability to return to the work force, able to not only provide employment for myself and Maureen but for other family members also. Thus, Organature® was created.

Early on we decided that we didn't want to just sell products; we also wanted to be able to provide people with knowledge and to help them create a healthy organic bedroom, organic baby nursery and overall improved quality of life, for themselves and their families. So we decided to offer the products we made for ourselves, direct to the public and began manufacturing our own bedlinen, including ORGANIC COTTON FUTONS and INNERSPRING MATTRESSES. These are made from 100% Certified Organic Cotton fabric and filling and are unique to Australia. The only Australian-Made Futons and Mattresses assembled and filled with the purest ingredients available.

Organature® Mattresses have a 100% safety record and we have now been making and selling them for around 15 years.

About The Organature® Certified Organic Cotton, Bassinet, Cradle, Pram Mattress

WRITTEN BY PETER BYL - ORGANATURE® FOUNDER

When our futon mattresses are made, they are filled with carded cotton wadding. This is small cotton pieces that are put through a machine and it is ‘fluffed’, like an unrolled cotton ball. It is then ‘stretched’ into a layer. This is then layered in a concertina pattern back and forth over itself until there are enough layers to form the right density. It is then packed into its outer casing. If it were not ‘fluffed’, it would do 2 things.

1. It would clump, so you would end up with a very uneven mattress with big holey spaces and,
2. It would be a completely flat mattress and would really just be like a quilt.

Organic Cotton does not have a memory, like toxic foam, latex or rubber, so it does not bounce back, and our products do not contain any chemical filled, foam or latex to assist bounce back! We simply won't use it as it would compromise our high standards and also NOT allow the product to be certified. Over time (and not a long time), the cotton flattens and it becomes a firm surface. All of our mattress start very full and puffy, but will quickly flatten because of the above mentioned processes. If you felt the need to flatten the new full futon mattress faster as a result of the SIDS Foundation recommendations, you could put it (in its cotton bag) between your mattress, or something similar and flatten it with your own body weight, then you will find that the baby futon becomes a denser surface. But we don't believe that's necessary at all.

We have sold many of these over the past years and have had such positive feedback, and the above idea was actually suggested by a previous client. A lot of parents have been back to buy more for other babies or in other cot sizes and in single bed mattress sizes too as their children get older. Along with the stringent testing we've done ourselves, what the thousands of other parents have experienced, is enough proof of the quality and safety of these beautiful Organic Cotton Futon Mattresses that anyone could possibly need.

Find out more ABOUT MATTRESSES AND FUTONS.

We've recently had a third generation Organature® baby sleeping on these futon style organic mattresses and she is a now a healthy, happy ‘chemical free’ thriving young woman.

About The Organature® Certified Organic Cotton Innerspring Mattress

WRITTEN BY PETER BYL - ORGANATURE® FOUNDER

The Organature® Cot Innerspring Mattresses are available in various sizes. Toddler trundles, single and all adult sizes are also available and made using 100% GOTS Certified Organic Cotton Fabric and Filling. A medium-firm to firm mattress with quality springs for comfort and long life. We even make to measure these exclusive Innerspring Mattresses when the need arises. With its 100% Safety Record, in 2019, it's still the safest and best cot mattress sold in Australia today.

Manufactured with quality, purity and health in mind and delivered directly to your home anywhere in Australia.

The Cleanest Production & Transporting Standards in Australia - safe for chemical sensitivity sufferers

WRITTEN BY GENEVIEVE SALCE - ORGANATURE® BUSINESS MANAGER

We deal with a lot of people who have problems because of chemicals in the environment where they live and work. There are also many who may not have a distinct problem but want to avoid chemicals because they have become aware that exposure to chemicals (often ones you cannot even smell) are responsible for a majority of ill health and general un-wellness in our society.

• Organature® works to European certification standards, as Australian and U.S. certifications are not good enough for Peter, our founder. For example, organic products are allowed to be stored in toxic plastic packaging, but he will not use it. Instead we use true cellulose, which is completely non toxic, safe for food storage and fully biodegradable.
• Our fabrics are only cut and packed on hardwood timber benches, and our pillows, quilts and mattresses are all shipped in their own certified organic cotton bags for protection. These are not requirements of any certification standard.
• Staff are not allowed to wear any perfumes, lotions, sprays or other toxic body-care products and all their clothing is washed in chemical free washing powder to make sure that every aspect of our manufacturing, storage, supply, transfer and delivery process is as clean and as pure as possible.
• Even the ink we use to print our invoices and price-lists is the safest we can find on the market. There are no sprays to contend with and it dries immediately. We've been using this for ink for many years now and in the beginning when we sent information to people with chemical sensitivity they could not understand why it was possible for them to actually read our brochures, because they’d previously received a reaction when they tried to read others.
• We sell direct to the consumer so that you can feel confident that your products are safe from contamination by third party outside sources.
• Organature® mattresses, futons and toppers are packed firstly into an organic calico bag, then a heavy duty plastic bag (this is required to protect from elements during transport) and lastly into an outer carton. Other goods such as bed linen are wrapped in true cellulose film, or a calico bag, then either heavy duty paper or a well aired cardboard box.
• In our shop and factory, the cutting tables and the shelving are constructed from Australian hardwood, (we do not use chipboard or MDF). We recycle boxes. The shed where our bed bases, cots, bedside tables, chests and other furniture is made is located close by on a family property surrounded by tall eucalypts and native plants.
• As a family who own and run the entire enterprise, we can control every facet of our business. For instance, we do not use chemical fragrances or chemical personal care products, like perfumes or after shave, which may permeate the fabrics and cause a problem for those who are chemically sensitive. No chemical washing powders, dish washing liquid, personal or household cleaners are used here. For cleaning we simply use vinegar and bi-carbonate soda. And it goes without saying that chemicals are not used for pest or weed control either.

In fact it’s easy to put simply – no fly spray, just a swat. No weed killers, just tools and hands. No oven cleaner, just elbow grease. No air fresheners, just fresh air.  "Absolutely Purely Organic."

About The SIDS Foundation Findings

WRITTEN BY PETER BYL - ORGANATURE® FOUNDER

1. The SIDS foundation has never investigated whether chemicals in conventional mattresses and bedding may be the cause. All they have done is come out with recommendation relating to all those products in the marketplace that are laden with cancer causing chemicals. An acknowledgement that chemicals have contributed to SIDS deaths would upset some major players in the bedding, textile and mattress industries. It's just way too controversial.
2. The SIDS risk is not softness of the mattresses! Babies in the 60's, and before when these chemicals were not used as they are doing now, slept in soft mattresses. I myself in the 40's slept in a down feather mattress. SIDS was unheard of in those days and has become more and more prevalent over the last 40 odd years, as more and more chemicals have been introduced into our environment.
3. In addition there is another chemical commonly used in conventional textiles which is a nerve toxin.
4. These chemicals are NOT permitted and NOT used in our GOTS Certified Organic products ever.

FEEL FREE TO CONTACT US HERE.

Organature® doesn't follow standards – WE SET THE STANDARDS – above and beyond current certification requirements and consumer expectations.