All parents want the best for their baby, so we look at the organic options available for food and clothes.

Food

One in three babies now eat organic baby food at least some of the time and it accounts for half of the baby food market. With an increasing range of available, supermarkets are stocking organic options, making it easier than ever to make the switch.

See below for the Soil Associations advice about feeding your baby organic food. Research shows that exposing a baby to a wide range of tastes during their formulative years can stimulate a greater willingness to try new tastes and textures later on in life.

If you have time to make your own baby food, make sure you use the freshest possible ingredients and include as much variety as possible. For very young babies, freeze pureed fruit and vegetables in ice cube trays, so you can defrost them when needed. For older children, freeze leftovers in separate containers, so you can reheat when you're in a hurry.

Local couple Angus and Shoo Oliphant from Holt set up a children's food company called Miniscoff to provide healthy, organic meals for busy mums to feed their 12 month to 12-year-olds.

The ready-to-serve organic meals are free from GM ingredients, additives, colourings and sweeteners and come in a range of dishes such as Chilli Yum Yum and Mash Bang Wallop. Visit www.miniscoff.co.uk for more information.

Truuuly Scrumptious produces meals for babies of four months and upwards and is based in Radstock, near Bath. The range goes from pureed vegetables such as sweet potato and butternut squash to dishes such as cottage pie for older babies. Visit www.bathorganicbabyfood.co.uk for more information.

Clothes

Mini-Organic is a Trowbridge-based company that sells organic baby clothes and toiletries. Jenny Watts, proprietor said: "If you are planning to raise your child in a natural and environmentally friendly way, then organic baby clothes are an important factor.

"Crisp white cotton is thought of as a very natural fabric, but it is actually more environmentally-damaging than most synthetic textiles! Cotton is one of the most environmentally damaging crops grown in the world. Because it is not a food crop, cotton is routinely sprayed with an even heavier cocktail of pesticide poisons than normal agricultural crops. In developing countries, more than 50% of all pesticides used in agriculture are sprayed onto cotton fields.

"The result is widescale water pollution, chronic illness in farmworkers, and devastating effects on wildlife. In industrial countries like the USA, cancer rates in cotton producing states are significantly higher than neighbouring states. Added to this the effects of bleaching the final fabric, and possibly spraying it with a fire-retardant, and your 'natural look' garment seems distinctly unnatural.

"In conventional cotton clothing, each t-shirt that is produced uses approximately 150g of a range of toxic chemicals, such as Paraquat and Parathion, in fact, The Environment Protection Agency considers seven of the top 15 pesticides used on cotton as 'probable' or 'known' human carcinogens, and it is estimated that less than 10 per cent of the chemicals applied to cotton accomplish their task, the rest are absorbed into the plant, air, soil, water and eventually, our bodies.

"Organic cotton is manufactured from organically grown cotton plants. No chemical pesticides or fertilisers are used to grow it, and the final cloth is unbleached and dyed with natural plant dyes.

"At mini-organic, we believe it is especially important that baby clothes are free from toxic residues as their skin is five times thinner than our own, allowing toxins to penetrate the skin much more easily.

"The cotton used in our garments is certified organic by SKAL, a very reputable Dutch certifier. SKAL certification is based on the growing and the entire production cycle (spinning, weaving, washing, etc. has to be done in an environmentally responsible way), the dyeing is carried out to Oeko Tex 100 standards, which ensures that the dyeing and finishing of the fabric is also carried out in an environmentally responsible way.

"Therefore, when you buy organic baby clothes from us, you have the peace of mind that you are clothing your baby in the safest and most natural fibres available.

"All our organic baby clothing and natural, organic skincare is produced in the UK, and the farmers that grow the cotton receive a fair wage for their crop. (FairTrade) As well as the environment and the farmers, we pay great attention to the finished product and offer you a range that is beautiful to look at, comfortable to wear and practical to care for. Our clothes are designed and made in England.

"Designed to be pure and gentle for your baby, our new organic baby care collection has been created using the highest quality certified organic ingredients. The certified organic baby care range exceeds the exacting Organic Personal Care Standards of the Non-Food Certification Company, a division of the Organic Food Federation." For more information visit www.mini-organic.co.uk or email sales@mini-organic.co.uk or call 01225 767003.

Soil Association advice:

Why choose organic for your children?



  • Existing regulations on the amount of pesticide residues that non-organic foods may contain are based on 'acceptable' levels for adult consumption. Babies and young children, however, are at greater risk because the immaturity of their organic and body systems makes them more vulnerable to toxins
  • Because children's diet is often restricted to just a few types of less processed food - like apples, potatoes or carrots - they may receive higher exposures. From conception until one year of age, children are at their most vulnerable. During this critical stage of development cells are multiplying at their peak, yet the body has a limited diet to draw upon
  • A baby's digestive system is also more efficient than that of an adult at absorbing foods, enabling nutrients to be used more quickly, but also making the body more vulnerable to toxins. Immature kidneys are not as proficient at excreting harmful substances, so they may circulate in the body for longer
  • No one yet knows what effect genetic engineering may have on food products and the health of those who consume them. So the best way to protect yourself and your baby from possible problems is to choose organic. Organic foods are produced without genetically modified ingredients.