As babies develop, their brains form 1 million or more neural connections per second. No wonder that in a survey of 1,800 parents and caregivers, 99% of them said they were concerned about toxic ingredients in baby products, including diapers. Almost 89% of respondents were extremely concerned to learn that potentially toxic chemicals were detected in popular diaper brands.
HealthyBaby is on a mission to improve health from preconception to pre-K by pioneering baby care products that meet the highest safety standards, including the first-ever Environmental Working Group (EWG)-verified diaper. Babies and toddlers wear approximately 2,500 diapers per year – and they play, eat and sleep in them all day. Even so, there is virtually no regulation or government oversight within the diaper category. Manufacturers of disposable diapers are not required to disclose their ingredients publicly or ensure that their products are made without materials of concern.
The EWG exists to fill this gap by setting standards where there are none. The organization sets restrictions, limits, and policies on the $8 billion diaper industry in the interest of safeguarding human health. HealthyBaby’s EWG-certified toxin-free diapers are available online and will rollout in Target stores nationwide on August 13.
Shazi Visram is the founder of Happy Family Brands and the founder and CEO of HealthyBaby. She started Happy Family Organics in 2003 to clean up baby food, and it has since grown to become the largest organic baby brand in the U.S. During this time, she also embarked on her own parenting journey, learning a great deal more about how a baby’s environment from the inception of life influences health.
At age two, Visram’s first child was diagnosed with a profound neurological disorder. Visram began asking why developmental diagnoses have been epidemically increasing in the modern world, and how we might protect babies during their formative years. She did this by studying the work of childhood development-focused neuroscientists. Armed with hundreds of research studies and with direct access to the world’s leading obstetricians, developmental pediatricians, neurologists, and environmental biologists, Visram had her second child. At age six, she is, remarkably, healthy and connected.
It was her personal experience that inspired Visram to found HealthyBaby. “This company is the culmination of all I have learned and want to share,” she said in an exclusive interview with me. “There is a reason I have been gifted a child with special needs. It’s so hard, but he has taught me more than I would have ever imagined. It has made me a better, more accepting, and even more driven person to see how many new babies don’t have a voice protecting them. Every baby deserves to develop in a safe environment with connected parents and caregivers. Everything we do at HealthyBaby has a purpose. We believe we can make real change.”
Visram has this advice for people looking to align their career with their life purpose. “In my experience, a strong sense of purpose directly results from feeling a duty to take action using what you have. Being mindful of the experiences you’re having, both painful and joyful, and letting intuition guide you as to what feels worthy of your time. Be fearless when you need to course correct. It’s your path. If you take a new direction and it doesn’t work out, learn and move forward. Fail fast and keep trying until it feels right. You will know when it does because you will feel proud and want to do more.”
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