Grab Chlorine by the Balls

The chlorine in our water, and our babies bath can be dangerous. Very, very dangerous. Actually, the steam is the most dangerous bit – which was rather unwelcome news to me as I take scalding showers. And I quote:

“Expectant mothers can expose themselves to the higher risk by drinking the water, swimming in chlorinated water, taking a bath or shower, or even by standing close to a boiling kettle, say researchers.

The finding, based on an analysis of nearly 400,000 infants, is the first that links by-products of water chlorination – chemicals known as trihalomethanes, or THMs – to three specific birth defects.

Exposure to high levels of THMs substantially increased the risk of holes in the heart, cleft palate and anencephalus, which results in the absence of a major portion of the brain, skull, and scalp.”

Sometimes I wish I had never been taught to read.

So. Now what? Well, luckily you can buy water filter shower heads for less than a bottle of wine. Whole house filters, like the one my husband and I are placing on our water system, can be more spendy – which is again, why you should have this perhaps be a parent, in-law, or rich uncle gift.  After a month of research, I chose the Aquasana whole house filter. Here’s why: Why. If you live in an apartment, you can always buy one of many under sink systems, which hover about $100.

Either way, a great shower gift, as well as an essential part of  your baby’s bath, are chlorine balls, which I order from one of my favourite green stores www.Gaiam.com.  These balls will rid the bath water that washes your baby’s highly porous skin of 95% of the chlorine that flows from the tap. They last about a year and cost about $50. (And yes, they fit over faucet protectors.)

Learn More: Check the water quality rating in your city here