May 06, 2016
The Baby Box Company/Facebook
The Finnish Baby Box tradition has spread to Philadelphia and now will begin in New Jersey.
The idea of putting your precious newborn to sleep in a cardboard box might sound odd, or even alarming.
But the concept, which started in Finland with a purpose of reducing infant mortality by providing a safe space for infants to sleep while persuading parents against co-sleeping, is being hailed by medical professionals as a lifesaving tactic.
Now, the concept has made its way to Philadelphia, with Temple University Hospitals handing out cardboard boxes loaded with free baby goods like diapers and onesies to new parents.
According to Philadelphia Magazine, the hospital currently has enough funding to give out 3,000 of the baby boxes, which is about how many births the hospital oversees per year.
The boxes are made by The Baby Box Company and created with high-quality cardboard. They also come stocked with a mattress, tight-fitting sheet, and other baby necessities.
Temple University Hospitals started handing out the baby boxes Tuesday, and in time it will research the outcome of the program, which falls under the hospital's SAFE-T initiative and also includes educating new parents on safe child sleeping habits, PhillyMag said.
Read the full Philadelphia Magazine report here.
