"Typically," she says, "we bring baby home to the sickest room in the house."

The nursery is "sick" because we think more about how the room will look than what it will do to our babies' health. Unknowingly, we buy what we think is cute rather than what's safe. Everything in the baby's room -- from the mattress to the paint on the walls -- can emit harmful volatile organic chemicals (VOC) that can cause breathing problems. Lung disease and breathing problems are the No. 1 cause of death in infants less than 1 year old, according to the American Lung Association.

But it doesn't have to be that way.

Upton, of EcoDecor in North Palm Beach, Fla., has created a nursery upstairs in the American Lung Association's Designer Showhouse in West Palm Beach, Fla., to illustrate that a beautiful room also can be breathable. She has specialized in environmental design since 1982 and is the showhouse's co-chair.

Here are some of her health and safety tips:

- Use only eco-friendly paints such as Benjamin Moore's Eco Spec, Sherwin Williams' HealthSpec or ICI Dulux Paints Lifemaster 2000.
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