How bad is fleece for our children?

[sfoanna]

Hi, does anyone know if (and how much so) polyester fleece is bad for us/our children? I have never thought about it til now...I regulary and happily buy fleece pjs for my son every winter. So he is in them for 12 hours a day. We also buy fleece blankets and jackets etc, so exposure is probably darn close to 24 hrs/day!

I know that cloth diapers are made from fleece too, for the water repellancy.
Thanks!
Anna

[Mara232]

It's not fleece that is bad for you - it's fleece pajamas since they are treated with flame retardent chemicals.

[Pookietooth]

I think I've heard that any polyester tends to off-gas, but I don't know how much. Cotton has got to be better, especially if it's organic. My ds won't wear fleece, he says it's scratchy.

[melamama]

I agree that it's the chemicals in the fleece pj's that are harmful.

But we have gotten rid of most of our fleece for the kids as it is not a natural material, and often gets too hot and doesn't breathe. They're now primarily dressed in wool and cotton. My kids now actually prefer wearing their woolens for sleeping (like Ruskovilla or Hocosa). Even my 9yo dd who runs hot, was a very hot baby, keeps her woolens on most of the time (not summer but she will wear her wool tank top until it gets into the mid 70s).

And there are great wool diaper covers.