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When I was a kid, my mum was a bit of a hippy. Ah yes, I know what you are thinking: free love, psychedelic clothing, too many drugs… No. Not that kind of hippy. Think cotton kaftans, homemade bran muffins and homeopathic medicine.

Not so cool when fellow five-year-olds are guzzling sugar-coated chocolate puffs for breakfast (that'll be muesli for you, young lady) and getting lunch treats which originated in a factory not an orchard.

In retrospect, however, I'm pretty chuffed that my mum was such an unfashionable health nut — I'm healthy, have good eating habits and actually like broccoli.

Fast-forward a couple of decades and healthy is suddenly trendy. Yip, it is as if humanity, saturated with environmental toxins, has finally decided to detox (admittedly, by humanity, I mean the relatively small group of the global middle/upper class who can actually afford to be concerned with such things).

And the 21st century healthy is just so much healthier than that of the 20th century — it's organic!

A quick Google search of the phrase 'organic babies' yields 13 600 000 results — now, that's a lot of information about a topic which, while centuries old, probably only made it into the English lexicon a decade or so ago.

So, what's it all about? And why should you choose natural over the nicely-packaged, bug-free, spot-free, long-lasting, convenient offerings of the 21st century?

Organic + baby = healthy

Children's, and particularly infants', developing immune, central nervous and hormonal systems are especially vulnerable to damage from toxic chemicals. Although farmers and food manufacturers have to comply with certain restriction on the amount of pesticides, fertilisers and chemicals used on food, these 'safe' amounts are regarded as 'safe' for adults.

The fact that babies are so much smaller means that they absorb far more of these dangerous chemicals per pound of body weight than adults do and are therefore exposed to a higher concentration of toxins (estimated at four times greater).

Furthermore, because infants' organs and body systems are still developing, they are more susceptible to damage from these toxins — infants' digestive tracts absorb toxins more easily and because young kidneys are still relatively inefficient in getting rid of the toxins, they remain in the baby's body for much longer.

Although research into the effects of these toxins on our bodies still has a long way to go, it's becoming increasingly evident that pesticides and other contaminants are far more prevalent than we previously thought, and that eating organic reduces the risk of exposure to these chemicals.

A variety of synthetic chemicals are believed to be responsible for an increase in allergic conditions and asthma as well as more serious long-term neurological, developmental and learning disorders.

And, if that didn't send you screaming like a banshee for the organic aisle in your local supermarket, here's another good reason to go organic: it is actually healthier.

Yip, organic produce really is bursting with more flavour and goodness (vitamins, minerals and antioxidants) than the non-organic stuff.

How organic is organic?

So, what makes something organic? Organic food means food that has been grown or produced without chemical aid. Organic fruit and vegetables must be farmed with botanical or non-synthetic pest controls. No genetic modification is permitted. Animals can't be given any antibiotics, growth hormone or feed made from animal by-products.

Processed food may not contain any chemical food additives and all the ingredients must be organic. It may not contain artificial preservatives, flavourants or colourants.

A good rule of thumb is that if you can't pronounce or have never heard of any of the ingredients, don't buy the product.

There should be no pesticides, hormones or heavy metal residues in organic foods, but occasionally there are traces chemical residue because of the pesticides that are now prevalent in groundwater and rain.

If something claims to be organic, it should have certification from South Africa's governing organics body, Organics SA. Certification means that it has been grown or produced according to certain standards set by the organisation. Without certification, there is little chance of knowing whether the claims made on the label are legitimate.

What you put in…

Non-organic baby food is particularly problematic as it is often made up of condensed fruits or vegetables. This means that the pesticide residues are also condensed. Olli baby foods makes an organic South African product which can be found in most major supermarkets.

Alternatively, if you can't find or afford pre-made organic baby food (which is actually fairly reasonably priced), you can always make your own:

• Buy some organic fruit and vegetables.


• Boil or steam the fresh produce before popping it into the blender.


• Blend until it reaches the right consistency (smoother for younger infants).


• If you would like to make enough food for the week in one sitting, put the rest into small containers and store in the freezer.


• Use pear or apple, instead of sugar, to sweeten vegetables.

Not everyone can afford to buy organic all of the time. If you have to be picky, try to get the organic versions of these items to avoid the chemicals of the conventionally-produced versions of these products: apples, peaches, spinach, milk and beef. If you can't get hold of organic fresh produce, remember to wash and peel the items as this will get rid of some of the chemical residue.

More to organics than food

If you opt to go organic with your little one, it's not only about what they eat. Babies can also absorb chemicals through their skin. A study reported in the February 2008 issue of 'Pediatrics' found that babies can be exposed to toxic chemicals through personal care products such as lotions, shampoos and nappy creams.

Natural products should not contain any of the following synthetic chemicals: mineral oil, petrolatum, fragrance, parfum, sodium lauryl sulphate (produces lather), propylene glycol, methylparaben, butylparaben and formaldehyde.

You should also pay attention to the fabrics that your child wears (and, of course, the detergent that you use when washing your child's clothing), your baby's nappies, bedding and toys.

Instead of the synthetic (but very practical) nappies, try using cloth nappies made from organic cotton, hemp or wool, which are free of the chemical-based absorbent gels and chlorine found in conventional nappies.

Mattresses are often treated with chemicals to make them safer (such as fire-retardants). These chemicals can also be harmful for your baby. If you plan on going organic, opt for mattresses and covers made from organic cotton or wool.

Recent Chinese toy scares should be warning enough about the threat of toxic toys. No matter what you do, toys will inevitably end up in your child's mouth. To be on the safe side, opt for toys which come with organic certification. These toys, made from organic fabrics and materials, should be free of all toxic dyes, paints and pesticides.

Obviously, going organic is not the easy route. It generally involves greater expense and far more effort. That being said, it's not an all-or-nothing lifestyle choice. Sure, it would be great if everything in your tiny tot's life could be organic, but chances are, this isn't going to happen. Go organic where you can and your child is bound to benefit from your healthy choices.

For more information, check out these organic websites:

Organic Babies
Pure Beginnings
Olli
Organics SA
Go-Organic

Tell us what you think. Do you think parents who are crazed by organic are overboard or do you think it's the way forward? Post your comments below: