How to quit the cycle of feeling bad from social media
How to quit the cycle of feeling bad from social media

Niamh Ennis

This spacious five-bedroom Cork City home is on the market for €1.1million
This spacious five-bedroom Cork City home is on the market for €1.1million

IMAGE

Lough Eske Castle: Five-star luxury meets laid-back leisure at this Donegal retreat
Lough Eske Castle: Five-star luxury meets laid-back leisure at this Donegal retreat

Sarah Gill

Tornant House: This extraordinary Wicklow home is on the market for €950,000
Tornant House: This extraordinary Wicklow home is on the market for €950,000

Sarah Gill

MOTHER co-founders Lisa Connell and Cormac Cashman on Cultúr Club 2024
MOTHER co-founders Lisa Connell and Cormac Cashman on Cultúr Club 2024

Sarah Gill

Supper Club: Smoked monkfish with Parma ham and rosemary
Supper Club: Smoked monkfish with Parma ham and rosemary

Meg Walker

With incredible coastal views, this future-proofed Howth home makes the most of its spectacular location
With incredible coastal views, this future-proofed Howth home makes the most of its spectacular location

Megan Burns

Birkenstock Bostons: How to style the fashion set’s favourite clogs
Birkenstock Bostons: How to style the fashion set’s favourite clogs

Sarah Finnan

This Stillorgan semi-d was transformed into a luxurious oasis by a travel-loving couple
This Stillorgan semi-d was transformed into a luxurious oasis by a travel-loving couple

Katie Byrne

This former industrial premises in Dublin 12 has been turned into a family home with two workspaces
This former industrial premises in Dublin 12 has been turned into a family home with...

IMAGE Interiors & Living

Image / Editorial

Everyone Is Talking About These Finnish-Style Baby Boxes


By Jennifer McShane
10th Jul 2016
Everyone Is Talking About These Finnish-Style Baby Boxes

Finland?has one of the lowest infant mortality rates in the world – 2.52 for every 1,000 births versus Ireland’s 3.10 – and it’s apparently all down to the invention of their nifty yet practical ‘baby boxes.’ For the last 75 years, the country has been providing all mothers-to-be with a baby box, which comes with bedding, bathing products and clothing, including a snowsuit (for Finland’s harsh winters), while the box itself doubles up as a cot for babies to sleep in. Don’t be fooled; this is no regular box. It’s made from sturdy cardboard containing a foam mattress with a waterproof cover and a cotton sheet, expertly designed for newborns. It also comes filled with essentials to help new mums and dads adjust to the transition of parenthood with nappies, wet wipes clothing and over 40 other items for your newborn.

The boxes also come with educational materials with advice on how to reduce the risk of infant mortality and improve parental bonding. Forget spending a small fortune on hundreds of items and a baby cot or crib, as everything you need is in this one handy box. It’s been thought that the size of the box prevents infants from rolling onto their tummies which experts say can contribute to sudden infant death syndrome.

According to The New York Times, the Finnish government gives away over 40,000 of the boxes each year. The programme started in the 1930s when the country set about trying to tackle their high mortality rate -?one of out ten infants in Finland died in their first year, and so the boxes were a low-cost way to encourage women to set aside old habits and see a doctor during their pregnancy. To receive it, women must undergo a medical exam when they reach the fourth month of their pregnancy.

The success of the programme has meant that other countries are keen to try it out; the UK have recently started trialling the boxes.

Via The New York Times