Just about every parent wants to do their very best with their children, but in a consumerist society, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to separate good from bad when it comes to baby products.

We’ve had the recent milk scare in China and more recenly SFGate has reported some baby furniture manufacturers aren’t warning consumers about the dangers of formaldehyde off-gassing from their cribs and changing tables.

However, they aren’t getting away with it. A suit has been filed in Alameda County Superior Court by the California attorney general against 5 manufacturers. It’s alleged the companies have been aware of the formaldehyde emissions since 2004, but have chosen to fix the issue or to warn consumers.

Formaldehyde is volatile organic compound (VOC), meaning that it becomes a gas at normal room temperatures. It is also a known carcinogen – a cancer causing substance. It’s not only carcinogenic to humans, but to many animals and birds as well. In an aquatic environment, formaldehyde is also very toxic.

Formaldehyde isn’t just in baby furniture. It’s everywhere – you may be surprised as to how many products contain the stuff – learn more about formaldehyde here.