SPECTACULAR! That’s how I would describe this year’s ABC Kids Expo, the largest children’s products tradeshow in the world. This year, the expo was held in Las Vegas, putting a new spin on the well-know phrase “Vegas Baby!” I admire the creativity, hard-work and dedication that these fabulous baby product developers have put into their creations. Two extremely busy days at the convention was not nearly enough time to cover 370,000 square feet of exhibits or even to visit every booth that I wanted to see. But I did get to stop in and chit chat with my some of my favs. Here are my top 10 exhibitors:
1. Earth Mama Angel Baby: Adorable and kissable!…That’s the only way to describe the Earth Mama Angel Baby team. The newest addition to EMAB’s line-up, Happy Mama Wash, was a hit as was the entire product line.
The Pregnancy Place Radio Show was broadcasting live from EMAB’s booth and featured interviews with The Soft Landing, Earth Mama Angel Baby, Itsabelly Baby Planners, Dr. Greene, myself and many more. Check out my interview here.
2. Thinkbaby: Love this line of BPA-free, phthalate-free, PVC-free, and lead-free baby bottles, sippy cups and feeding sets. Thinkbaby’s sunscreen is recommended by the Environmental Working Group and has a safety ranking of 1 (more info here). What’s new at Thinkbaby? A new straw-style sippy cup. Great job Kevin!
This company also provides non-toxic products for adults as well. The Thinksport line
3. NoseFrida: Still using the bulb syringe from the hospital to clean your baby’s nose? Did you know that repeated use of the traditional bulb syringe can irritate your baby’s nasal passage if you’re not careful? Now, there’s a solution…the NoseFrida, a nasal aspirator that never enters the nasal passage and instead rests on the outside edges of baby’s nostril. With NoseFrida, you can suck the snot away without irritating the nares. Check out our video to see how it all works.
4. Go Mama Go Design: To reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), the American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend bumper pads as they could be a suffocation hazard. As a parent, you want to make sure to protect your baby from injury. So what are you to do to protect your child from the hard crib rails and yet avoid using bumpers? Check out Wonder Bumpers. These innovative bumpers cover each individual railing and eliminate the use of the pillow-style bumper pads. These bumpers still allow protection from the crib rails and allow air to circulate through the rails. Coming in 2011….organic Wonder Bumpers!
5. Dandelion, Earth Friendly Goods: How could you not love a company who makes all of their products from organic, natural and recycled material? Dandelion carries a wide variety of products (organic rattles, teethers, developmental and plush toys, feeding products, layettes) and all are made from corn and/or cotton.
6. Naturepedic: These organic crib mattresses are made of organic cotton and food grade polyethylene and are my favorite mattresses hands down. Why? Naturepedic mattresses are JPMA-certified, GreenGuard certified, Global Organic Textile Standard certified and are endorsed by Healthy Child, Healthy World and First Candle…enough said? What’s new at Naturepedic? A new lightweight mattress designed to ease the hassles of changing the crib sheets.
7. Rhoost: Looking for stylish, non-toxic child-proofing gear? BPA-free, phthalate-free, PVC-free and lead-free, these easy to install require no screws or adhesive….GENIOUS! My favs?…the edge corner protectors and the sling cabinet locks.
8. Puj: Have you seen these tubs? This soft, comfortable, non-toxic tub is lightweight, convenient and fits into any size sink and is a real back-saver! In a snap (literally), this tub can be set-up or taken down with very little effort. I’m a huge fan!
9. Hygeia: Eco-friendly breast pumps?!! YES! As a NICU nurse and breastfeeding educator, I have come into contact with many moms who have borrowed a pump from a friend or who have bought a used pump on eBay. Personal use breast pumps have not been cleared by the FDA to be shared with other mothers since milk transfer can cause cross contamination and potentially expose the other mother to infectious diseases such as Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C or HIV. That was, until now. Hygeia has made a pump that can be shared amongst multiple users as long as each mom has her own accessory kit, thus reducing the number of pumps in our landfills and assisting moms to purchase a pump that can fit her budget. Once the life cycle of the pump is complete, return the pump the Hygeia for recycling (more info here). Pretty impressive indeed!
10. Grovia: Choose your diapering style with Grovia:
Green: Not ready to ditch the disposable diapers just yet? Not to worry, Grovia has an eco friendly biodegradable diaper for you. No fragrance, dye, plastic or chlorine to worry about in these disposable diapers.
Greener: Looking for a hybrid diaper? This diaper utilizes a reusable outer shell and allows you to choose from a snap-in organic cotton cloth soaker or a disposable soaker pad for when you’re on the go. Not sure if you’re ready for a hybrid diaper? Well give it a try with the GroVia™ Hybrid Test Drive Package which includes 50 eco-friendly BioSoaker™ and 2 GroVia™ Shells
Greenest: An All-in-One cloth diaper made of organic cotton. No cover needed, no stuffing, no pins…just snap and go.
Grovia offers a wide range of diapering products so be sure to check them out.
Zipping around the Expo with The Soft Landing and the entire team of Itsabelly Baby Planners, I got to see first hand how skilled this group of women are in their craft. If you’re pregnant, trust me when I say that these gals are the go-to gals in baby planning. They bring all aspects of baby care into play: safety, child proofing, car seats, prenatal education, product knowledge and eco-consciousness all in one place.
It was very impressive to see the large number of companies offering healthier products for children. I am definitely looking forward to next year’s expo. A tip to the wise…leave the high heels at home!
Author : Diba Tillery RN, BSN, IBCLC, CPST
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for the informative post. Many of these items are at the top of my eco & organic baby product list. I also completely agree with leaving the high heels at home – a lesson learned this year.
These are great articles. Keep up the good work.
I agree with the post above and I will find more information from google.