The flannel warning has to do with fire hazard. I once saw a demo on tv about this. A child's cotton flannel nightgown was mounted on a mannekin and a match brought close to the bottom. Within seconds of exposure to the open flame, the nightgown (and mannequin) was completely engulfed in flames. There would have been no time to even "drop and roll", the child's hair would have been on fire, etc. The danger is only with loose pj's where air can reach both sides of the fabric simultaneously, because oxygen feeds fire. A law was passed banning the sale of children's pj's made out of cotton in a loose style. (Close-fitting cotton pj's are allowed.) The warning is on the selvedge of cotton flannels that could be made into loose-fitting children's sleepwear. Many people are not aware of the flammability hazard for children. Statistical tracking has shown the child deaths from this type of fire have indeed gone down significantly since the law was passed many years ago.
Cotton flannel fabrics in quilts is not a problem because the thickness of the quilt prevents air from reaching both sides of the fabric simultaneously. A quilt made of flannel will burn much more slowly than a single layer of flannel nightgown.
Originally Posted by
mpspeedy
What really bugs me is fabric with definate "kid friendly" design, especially flannel, that has a warning not to be used in children's sleepwear. I spent my whole childhood in "flannel" pjs. If it is not meant for kids who else would wear or use it?