[thepiesleys]

call me paranoid - and a bit slow - but i have only just read the reports about children's clothes made in china and retailed in NZ - and it has really worried me - the reports of children sitting next t a gas fire whose pjs set alight after getting hot!! has seen me flying to check labels on my kids new pjs and yes made in china, how stupid am i? no wonder they were half price!!!!!!!! i am really mad that this was not more widely known, have i been living in a hole? did everyone else know this? Also the level of etremely dangerous chemicals in childrens clothing is 900 times more than it should be!!??

i have just yesterday took advantage of the sale of winter clothes for my kids (knowing we are going to a uk winter) and they are all made in china and they are all going back tomorrow - i feel really duped -

what are your views on this ?has it been blown out of proportion? am i overeacting? - can these clothes ( it mentions that the formaldehyde(sp) levels are so high) cause eye damage , burning of the skin and contain a cancer forming agent?!! any info to put my mind at rest would be welcome.

Sue

[nippa&pippa]

Have a look all clothes you brought with you from UK..we did that as well as piles of new clothes that my parents had just posted to us including new baby clothes and we have found major of clothes from UK are made in China too...can't win can we?!

[thepiesleys]

i agree, but i am sure i read that most european countries product test regularly, but not NZ, and if pj's in uk were "bursting" into flames they would certainly not still be on the shelves, i bought the exact same pair as the little boy who was burned had been wearing just yesterday:mad:

[Caroline and Dave]

i agree, but i am sure i read that most european countries product test regularly, but not NZ, and if pj's in uk were "bursting" into flames they would certainly not still be on the shelves, i bought the exact same pair as the little boy who was burned had been wearing just yesterday:mad:

Hi,
I am afraid that this sort of thing is happening all over the world not just in NZ
Warning. The first couple of paragraphs could be upsetting ( Really the whole thing is upsetting)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/08/22/wtoy122.xml

At least now this is all out in the air the authorities will act on it and all chinese and indeed any products from anywhere must be thoroughly tested particulary where children are involved.

[dharder]

A few years ago, I wanted to buy a German buggy/pram for the children. I talked to one company here in the UK, and they said that don't sell that particular brand because it isn't treated with the right chemicals to make it fire retardent (other companies did sell it, so maybe he just couldn't be asked).

When I asked the German company about that, they said half the chemicals used to make textile fire retardent are not used in Germany because they could potentially cause cancer.

So that left me with a choice of fire retardent, yet potentially sickening, fewer dangerous chemicals, but not as much fire prevention. You can't win, can you?

And did you know that most toys that say 'for over one/two/three' don't say that because they might have small parts (that too), or may not be suitable for small children, they mainly say that because regulations for toys for under a year are more stringent (hence more expensive to produce) than for over a year, i.e. what chemicals can go in the colouring.

I find this all rather scary and often cynical by manufacturers.

Daniela

[Aussie Pom]

We are having the same warnings in Oz at present but I think that you have to be realistic too. Not all clothes are going to be a problem, most of the world's clothes are currently made in China... they are the cheapest and best producer. It is the same as everywhere else where some people just want to cut corners. Most clothes have fire hazard warnings on them, especially night clothes. I also wonder why a child was sitting so close to a fire... I bet he or she was pretty close to get that hot.
I think you also have to apply your common sense. If I believed everything on the news I would have shot myself by now!:yes If you are really concerned then wash all your new clothes first before you let your children wear them. If they have that many chemicals in that they are a risk you will be able to smell something. Then if your children come out in a rash take them back but don't throw the baby out with the bath water. I think the media are having a bit of a "China" scare campaign at the moment, they will soon move on to something else. Maybe they just want less business to go over there or something.
Gina

[Nathan]

I was previously involved in product safety issues at a large international company. One of the main concerns at industry meetings was the inability to monitor/test safety of the enormous volume of Chinese products to the US combined with the unreliablity of labeling claims. This is further compounded by difficulty in tracking the manufacturers and holding them accountable for the claims.

I wish I could remember the statistics of % recalls of Chinese products vs other products. It alarmed me at the time and I've seen similar numbers cited since, but I can't remember them. I think a link was posted on this site.

Certainly, washing before wearing helps with the formaldehyde. It also removes some of the flame retardants (and other things)....which might be a health hazard, but also keep the clothes from bursting into flames.

It's a difficult problem. We want low prices and high quality, but we end up supporting cheap products by our buying habits and/or financial constraints. I really feel bad for young families on a budget.

[Familyofmonkeys]

If you are worried about chemicals in kids clothes, buy organic clothes. Mind you, they can be very expensive. They may not be fire retardant, but I think common sense goes a long way. You would have to sit uncomfortably close to a fire for something to catch on fire....surely someone should be watching their children more closely!

[jubjub]

I saw something in the paper at the weekend that said Patch had submitted their clothes for testing and they were OK. The other thing some of the people on my mums board have been saying is to buy 2nd hand, all the nasties are deffo washed out of them by the time you get them!