# MIL bought a raincoat, but it has PVC



## nia82 (May 6, 2008)

Thats dangerous right? It is a yellow Gymboree raincoat... I thought PVC was very dagerous in in everything. Should I throw it away?


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## crunchy_mommy (Mar 29, 2009)

Does it rain often there? If he's just going to need it occasionally, I personally wouldn't worry about it, but if it rains every day for months on end then see if you can return it to the store for a credit?


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## EdnaMarie (Sep 9, 2006)

PVC is everywhere. I think "dangerous" is a relative term. It is really the phthalates that can mimic estrogen which in turn may (long-term studies inconclusive) disrupt hormones and other bodily functions. HOWEVER! If you drink from water bottles; sit in a car; have any bendable plastic dishes; store anything in plastic baggies; have plastic bath toys; have vinyl "linoleum" floors; etc. the chances are that you are already swimming in phthalates.

My personal feeling would be that phthalates in cold-weather outerwear would be the least of my worries. Unless you are living on an organic farm with an all-wood and natural everything house and eat from all porcelain, wood, and metal dishes, and so on and so on, I would suspect the raincoat is just a drop in the bucket *even if you are careful about it*.

Considering how things are with MILs, I'd keep the coat, but don't drink water that's been sitting in it, or heat food up in it or anything.


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## crunchy_mommy (Mar 29, 2009)

EdnaMarie you wrote what I really wanted to say but couldn't eloquently write out!!









I minimize plastics etc. but even so, we have PVC pipes and plastic computers etc. Though I do think it makes sense to avoid wearing it if it's going to be a daily thing, but not worth burning bridges over...


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## LynnS6 (Mar 30, 2005)

Is she going to eat it? Suck on it? does it have lining? If the answer to the first 2 is no, and the latter one is yes, I wouldn't worry about it for all the reasons EdnaMarie listed.


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## MacKinnon (Jun 15, 2004)

I'm in the "don't heat things in the raincoat" camp!







We have shiny plastic raincoats the kids love, but they don't even eat in their raincoats, let alone off them. And they aren't worn a lot, there aren't that many appropriate rain coat days. I'm OK with it!


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## JudiAU (Jun 29, 2008)

First, I would write gymboree a letter letting them know about the dangers of pvc and the alternatives available. If she is going to play with it and use it occasionally, I would let it slide. But if this is a frequent use coat I would look for something safer. We really try and avoid the plastic nasties.


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