# Baby dolls and Safety.. Vinyl ever safe?



## Juise (Jun 14, 2007)

I'm getting desperate for a baby doll for my DD. $100 hand-made all organic baby doll? Not good enough. Knitted gnome baby? Nope. Mama made cloth dolly? Nope. All she really wants is the horrible plastic baby doll downstairs in our daycare area. She's in love with them. Plastics just don't seem to be entirely avoidable. You buy a car seat, you're purchasing plastic. Among other things we "need" in everyday life. So I've decided I could deal with purchasing plastic for this one item for her. But can I get a safe one? You try to find something PVC, BPA, phthalate-free, and you still come up with vinyl. Is it the phthalates in vinyl that make it unsafe? Is phthalate-free vinyl safe? Anyone found anything they would consider safe for a baby doll that looks more like a baby? TIA

ETA: It *will* be going in her mouth. A lot.


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## Labyrinth (Apr 14, 2008)

I'd look at this article before completely freaking out about BPA and Phthalates

http://www.acsh.org/publications/pub...pub_detail.asp

I tend to think that it's probably best to limit certain plastics in food containers as well as in things that kids mouth- but if you're concerned about dolls I think the brand that is generally considered safest is Corolle.

ETA: And the thing that concerns me about the fear of BPA and Phthalates is what chemicals replace them. It's not so much that I am pro-plastics in kids toys (I prefer wood and cloth) but more that I don't like trading an established chemical because of some animal studies for a chemical we haven't studied.


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## Juise (Jun 14, 2007)

Thank you for the info. I found the site very interesting, however, and no offense meant, I found it fairly unsatisfactory. Most of their claims lack any reliable source, or quote one doctor. They call all these scares "unfounded" which I think is rather ridiculous, especially considering they include lowing the levels of allowable lead. I have read quite a few very well backed up studies on many of the chemicals discussed. They didn't seem too extremist to me. Other countries have banned the use of some of these chemicals for years because there are lots of studies that have found undeniable risks.

I know the risk may be overblown by some people, but a risk is a risk. Having myself gone through cancer they had no idea why a person so young could get, I don't want to take any risk I can avoid. I suppose it may mean there just isn't any way to get her a baby doll anything like the standard plastic doll, but I was hoping there was a safe alternative.


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## carmel23 (Jul 21, 2006)

look up corolle dolls on safe toys .org (or is it healthy toys?)

they have some chlorine off gasing, but we just took it out of the package and let it air out outside before giving it to dd.

it is phthalate-free. they have one dolly that is mostly cloth and only the face is plastic vinyl. They are made to European standards. hth


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## ElaynesMom (May 24, 2008)

I haven't decided whether or not I'm comfortable with my dd having any vinyl, including phthalate free vinyl. Until I do some more research on the issue we've allowed no vinyl. We recently purchased this doll for my dd:

https://www.shopatron.com/product/pa...75.27581.0.0.0

I don't know if it's realistic enough for your dd, but mine seems to think it is. she has no problem pointing out the doll's eyes, nose, bellybutton,toes, etc. The dolls is also available with blue clothes, different hair colors, and a darker skin tone.


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