Do you remember Finland's famous cardboard boxes? We refer to those that since 1938 the State gives to all pregnant women, and that come full of new things for their newborns, such as clothes, cloth diapers, booties, thermometer, nail clippers, among other things.
The famous Finnish boxes will now arrive in the United States. New Jersey will be the first state in the American country to adopt them, granting free cardboard boxes to all new mothers during this year.
With the help of The Baby Box Co and the New Jersey Child Fatality Review Board, It is expected that around 105,000 boxes will be delivered during the course of this year. The boxes will have wet wipes, diapers, nipple cream and clothes, among other things.
"All parents have the right to obtain the necessary tools to care for their baby, and every child deserves a safe start in life. New Jersey officials and health professionals joined together to make collaboration that embodies this reality, ensuring that resources for basic child care and education are universally accessible to all families across the state."commented Jennifer Clary, CEO of The Baby Box Co.
Unlike the Finnish system that delivers them to each pregnant woman before delivery or when leaving the hospital, New Jersey mothers should request them registering on the website of this initiative and should watch an informative video of 10 minutes, then answer a brief questionnaire and give them the certificate so they can pick up the box or receive it at home if they wish.
The objective of this program, in addition to giving parents the essential elements for the care of their newborn, is prevent and reduce baby deaths because of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
More and more countries decide to adopt this Finnish measure and add this benefit to their support programs for new mothers:
In Mexico, where they are called "cardboard cribs", they were delivered for the first time in the capital in 2015 and a few months ago in the state of San Luis Potosí. In both places the objective is to reduce sudden infant death syndrome, although they are only given to poor mothers.
In Spain, specifically in Galicia a box is also delivered with a goal similar to Finnish boxes with clothes and essentials for the newborn, although babies can't sleep in them Because they are smaller.
Hopefully more countries adopt this measure, as it has been proven that helps reduce the risk of sudden infant death, providing babies with a safe place to sleep.
