The Finnish baby box, which experts say could help save lives, is given by the state to all expectant mums and includes all the must-have essentials, such as clothes, sheets, a toothbrush, a feeding bottle and toys. The starter box also contains a mattress, which creates the baby's first bed.
The box was firstly only distributed to those in financial need, but it is now offered to all expectant mothers and is credited with helping reduce infant mortality in Finland from 65 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1938 to 2 deaths per 1,000 in 2013.
Projects are now being set up in other countries to imitate the Finnish success story, such as South Africa, Zambia, Colombia, Argentina and the US, according to Harvard University doctoral student Karima Ladhani, who adapted the Finnish box for South Asian mothers, called the "Barakat Bundle." The bundles are also being used in a rural hospital in Jagadiya, India, which includes a clean-birth kit to prevent infection during or soon after delivery and a mosquito net to protect babies against malaria.
"I don't think there are geographic boundaries to the impact. But design is incredibly crucial to ensure that it addresses the needs and wants of different populations," says Karima.
Is the box the best way forward?
Lucy Lyus research and information manager at the The Lullaby Trust says that many years of research have shown that to reduce the chance of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), the safest place for a baby to sleep is on a firm, flat and waterproof mattress in their own sleep space. Traditionally this has meant a Moses basket or cot, but a baby box may well be an alternative, especially for families who struggle to provide a suitable cot or who don't live in permanent accommodation:
"We welcome any initiative that supports families in facilitating safer sleep for their baby. However, further research is needed to establish whether the baby boxes will work as well in the UK as they have in Finland and other countries. This is why we are currently funding a study led by Professor Helen Ball at Durham University, which is investigating whether families in the north of England would use a baby box to improve safety in situations where they share a bed with their baby."
How can you reduce your baby's risk of SIDS?
Although there's no absolute risk-free way of preventing SIDS, there are a number of ways to help reduce the risk.
- Put the baby to sleep on their back. This is the safest place and position for your baby to sleep in. If you wake up and see that your baby is on their front, and they are younger than six months old, gently roll them onto their back.
- Don't smoke during pregnancy or allow anyone to smoke around your baby. If you smoke during or after pregnancy, your baby's risk of SIDS increases and SIDS is more common in babies who are regularly exposed to smoke. Never smoke in the same room as your baby.
- Don't let your baby get too hot as overheating is linked to an increased risk of SIDS, so keep the room your baby sleeps in at a comfortable temperature of between 16°C and 20°C.
- Lay your baby with their feet at the foot of the cot, so they can't wriggle down under the bedding. Keep their head uncovered by tucking their bedding in no higher than their shoulders. Never sleep on a sofa or armchair with your baby.
- Breastfeed your baby if you can, as breastfeeding may reduce the risk of SIDS in babies.