Are Children Combustible? ALL the Pjs for Kids Have Flame Resistant Chemicals!

This is why I buy my son's pjs from Hanna Andersson. :) Those are just cotton and are made to fit like long-johns, close to the skin. They even have warnings that they should fit snugly and not be worn loose. They make summer pjs too, but we just go with shorts or boxers and a tee shirt.:)

Yes, I dislike the chemicals. I've also noticed that a lot of no-wrinkle sheets and towels are treated with formaldehyde. Yuck.

I agree with you 100%. I bought one pair of those pj's, and read about the flame retardant. I decided that the chance of my kids being adversely affected by the chemicals was much higher than them dying in a fire. I believe that the chemical industry feeds on fear and pushes it on the regulators.

I put form fitting soft clothes on my kids that did not have these chemicals in them. I would never have my kids sleep in that stuff, ever.

My son is 5 and I have no trouble finding him pajamas. Gap, Old Navy, Costco (organic ones!) and Gymboree all sell cotton pajamas in larger sizes. Where are you shopping? The ones with the licensed characters are usually polyester (which I hate) and have all the chemicals.

A bit of history. The flame retardant law started back when the majority of homes were heated with fireplaces and wood burning stoves. It was important back then. Children did die from fires and not just the ones whose parents weren't supervising.

It's not so important now, tho we still have gas and wood burning fire places to be concerned about. Because some parents don't adequately supervise we still have this law. It will take time and the focus of someone to change this law.

I won't buy them either....but did you know these flame retardant chemicals are in everything? The crib mattress....yes they breathe it in all day and night. Some swear this is what causes SIDS.....and I have to somewhat agree. Also your couches..your mattress...your car....everywhere. It takes a lot of work to get keep it out of your house....it's so sad what they expose us everyday without telling us how dangerous it is. If I had to weigh the risks between a fire and chemical exposure....I will risk the fire.

Ok, that was a funny title! No, they aren't combustable but you don't want their clothes to catch on fire easily, either. They don't even wake up for fire alarms.
Mine always slept in T shirts and then added shorts as they got older. If they out grew pull on shorts, they became pjs. it's the cycle of life!

My son sleeps best in a pair of soft or comfy shorts, and a white tank top. Every night. We dont bother buying him "real" pj's anymore because he hates them.

Yes actually, if you set them on fire they will burn.

Yup... this is why I search far and wide for all cotton pajamas for my kids. There's no way I want them breathing in extra chemicals all night long. Buying tagless tshirts and soft shorts is a decent idea if you can't find cotton pjs. Childrens Place is usually the one place I can find them...

I, too, have balked at the idea of dressing my children in flame retardants. Hanna Andersson makes organic cotton PJs that are not chemically treated for babies up through the equivalent of a child's 14. They make grown-up ones, too. They are pricier than what you'll find at Target or Wal-mart, but to me it's money well spent. The Hanna Andersson ones wear well enough they will last through multiple kids, and are available in colors and prints that work equally well for boys and girls.

The thing is, those same flame retardant chemicals are in most mattresses and upholstered furniture. They are so prevalent in our environment that they've been detected in ground water and in animal populations. They're kind of difficult to avoid. :-(

I can't stand how PJs with the fire resistant chemical feels. And I don't like the idea of chemicals on my kid's clothing. I never bought them for my kids. I was lucky, my mom an avid seamstress made my kids all their pjs. out of nice soft cotton. Now that they are pre-teen and teen they wear t shirts and shorts.

Yes, the chemicals are added to the PJs that are polyester, because polyester doesn't burn, it melts. Melted plastics on your skin.... And it melts extremely quickly. (My son actually did a science experiment testing how quickly various fabrics burned for a science project--it was very interesting).

If you will notice, the cotton Pj's do not have the chemicals added, but they are very specific that they should fit snugly, not loose. Again, it has to do with the nature of the material and how it behaves with fire. Cotton burns easily and quickly, but only if it has lots of airflow. When it is snug on the skin, it is much much more difficult to catch fire.

My kiddos gave up "real" PJ's a long time ago. But when they did wear them, as little tikes, they wore the long john tight fitting style from Children's Place that were all cotton. Even the summer ones were like bike shorts on the bottom, but all cotton--no loose fitting.

Now, I don't know exactly what my son sleeps in, I'm guessing a pair of boxers and that's about it (he's 14). My daughter sleeps in XS adult PJ's (all cotton) or those Soffee shorts and a tank top Tshirt, normally. I made her some cotton PJ shorts (and am planning to make some more) that she likes, but the fabric specifically said it wasn't made for pajamas (it isn't stretchy so can't be as close fitting as it should be for PJ use). But... I don't care. My PJ's fit loosely, too.
:)

Yes, me too! Especially with my daughter's sensitive skin, the last thing she needs are weird chemicals rubbing up against her all night. I do not expect my child to catch on fire as I am sure to supervise her around open flames.

Target is a reliable source for cotton jammies, as well as (oddly enough) Costco. And my little one just loves to sleep in a "mommy nightgown", which just one of my soft t-shirts.

Hope that is helpful! :)

I NEVER buy the chemical laden PJ's!! Yuck!! But, I have to tell you, this year my DD is wearing size 6, and it has been more difficult to find the cotton (and inexpensive) ones in her size. My usual go-to places like Target and Walmart don't have cotton (snug fit) over size 5T (darn!), even Osh-Kosh was a fail (they had pants with short sleeves, we need shorts). My other go-to store (for inexpensive) is Children's Place and they do have them, but sold out in her size, I did manage 2 sets, within 3 trips to 2 different locations. Ok, ordering online would have been ideal in this situation, but I didn't know it would be so difficult! Yes, Hanna Andersson also has awesome cotton PJ's, I will get them in the winter because the cotton is thick (and nice!), we live in FL so although the quality is great, it's a little too heavy for our summers (IMO). Gap/Old Navy has them too, but I'm not crazy about the fit. Also in the hot summer months last year I got cotton Hanes camis and matched with pj shorts, which worked well, I plan on doing the same this summer. I know Hanes also does boys under-tanks and shirts that are fitted and 100% cotton. You could go that route too :) So, they are out there, good luck!!

BTW, I just read Marda P's response, and I always assumed flame retardant was to protect from fires, like if your house caught on fire in the middle of the night, not from a lack of parental supervision (but I know that can happen too). I imagine a baby in a crib or young child sitting in a bed with a room on fire during the night, and how flames can catch onto free flowing materials like curtains etc. and loose fitting Pj's....

Great post that brings back a vivid memory. Years ago, my big sister, then 9 years old, and I were making Mother's Day breakfast while my Mom and Dad were still in bed. They probably thought we were pouring them cereal, but my sister was quite imaginative! She was cooking eggs on an electric stove and caught her flimsy robe on fire. It was quick and terrifying. Thanks to our screaming and fast parents, my sister was dropped, covered and rolled immediately, suffering few burns. Out went the flimsy robes! (Think Mad Men era.) So the idea of form-fitting night clothes seems just wonderful to me. Take care.

I spent a ton on pjs. That is until I remembered that my siblings and I just wore oversized Tshirts and undies until we were old enough to be embarased by it. Then shorts were added when we were outside our bedrooms.
My girls still like their pjs that Grandma gave them, but most of the summer will just be Ts and panties. Especially because the Ts will be used for play/painting/weekend shirts when they do fit. Big money saver!
I hate that they add chemicals! yuck! And what exactly is on there that doesn't wash off in the washing machine? If my kids don't have high fructose corn syrup, why would I want them to wear chemicals every night?

Hanna Andersson make beautiful cotton PJ but they are very expensive.

You can just stick to shorts and shirts that are just for sleeping. Try Softee shorts. You can find them in sporting goods stores. My daughter ha s a pair she sleeps in. They are 6 or 7 dollars.

I try to avoid the polyester nightgowns. I recommend Sara's Prints which you can purchase online. They are beautiful cotton jersey nightgowns and pajamas. My daughters have been wearing them for years. They have PJ's for boys and girls.

Yup, t-shirts and soft shorts or undies. There are organic cotton options out there, but of course, they are pricey. Synthetics should just not be an option, anyhow. They are soaked in chemicals b/c they will go up in flames so easily without.... :-(

I hear you! (and we don't buy polyester anything.) Cotton is the most comfortable thing to sleep in. Look for cotton snug-fit design jammies; when they are loose fit they are more likely to have flame retardant on them. Lands End carries high-quality cotton jammies for toddlers, little kids and big kids. The selection isn't enormous right now since we're entering summer, but here's an example, plus they are on sale:
http://www.landsend.com/pp/girls-knit-snug-fit-pajama-set...

I do some sewing and find it funny that fabric is labeled "not suitable for children's sleepwear; not flame resistant." I understand the story of the child cooking in her jammies and it sure helped when it caught fire. Unfortunately it would have been worse if she were wearing regular clothes (a dress, a sleeve, a ruffle that caught), which would not have been. So maybe we should flame retard all of our clothes on the off chance........... (not really)

My understanding is that it is a requirement depending on the style of the pajamas. The looser ones have more potential to catch a candle flame than body fitted feetie pajamas.

if the pajamas are tight fit.. they do not have to have the flame retardant added. if they are loose fit they have flame retardant added.

I would wash all pjs first.. but I imagine the chemicals are all but gone after a couple of washings.

My daughter never wore pj's - she slept in oversize t-shirts from the day she was born - much easier to change diapers during the night.
When she got older, she stayed with her t-shirts. She couldn't stand wearing anything snug to bed.

I never really thought about it...but yeah to think it is in everything is quite scary. :-/ ugh...