Finland's Baby Box (infants, weight, child, insurance)

[charlygal]

Is US infant mortality caused by lack of a baby bed and infant clothing? No? Then this type of box would have no bearing on the mortality rate.

The US has free clinics, SNAP, Medicaid, WIC and all types of services for low income pregnant women.

[EvilCookie]

It's a cute gesture...but I don't really get why it's such a big deal for lowering infant mortality? Do that many babies really die because they don't have a box to sleep in? Even for low-income families in the US, getting a place for the baby to sleep (crib, bassinet, or pack and play) and other necessities isn't that hard, there are plenty of charities providing these items to those in need, not to mention tons of people willing to give away hand-me-downs, Freecycle, Buy Nothing groups etc. I'm a member of one of these groups and whenever someone posts about a family in need of something for their kids, there's usually no shortage of very generous offers to help out.

For the affluent parents, most would prefer to choose their own baby items anyways.

[DewDropInn]

Originally Posted by germaine2626

Many of the times it is because the baby does not have their own space to sleep.

My parents put me in a dresser drawer. I'd guess they figured out a place to put the socks and whatnot for a few months. Necessity is the mother of invention.

[Katarina Witt]

I think the boxes are great! I think Natsku is probably right (esp. as she lives in Finland) that the point is to get the moms in for pre-natal care. There's evidence that prenatal care reduces infant mortality. I don't think the cost is *that* much, when you look at all the money we already spend on health care in this country, both through private insurance payments, Medicaid, charitable contributions etc.

[germaine2626]

Originally Posted by charlygal

Is US infant mortality caused by lack of a baby bed and infant clothing? No? Then this type of box would have no bearing on the mortality rate.

The US has free clinics, SNAP, Medicaid, WIC and all types of services for low income pregnant women.

Every year in my city alone there are a dozen or more babies that die because of improper co-sleeping. By improper, I mean parents who are drunk and have the baby sleep with them in an adult bed, or have many children sleeping together in the same bed (often with multiple pillows and blankets) or babies that die when an adult rolls over and suffocates them when they are sleeping together on a couch or on the floor. Using a box like this could reduce these needless infant deaths if the boxes were actually used as baby beds.

Originally Posted by DewDropInn

My parents put me in a dresser drawer. I'd guess they figured out a place to put the socks and whatnot for a few months. Necessity is the mother of invention.

I slept in a dresser drawer, too. It was something that was commonly suggested to new parents in baby books and by doctors in the 1940s and 1950s (the beginning of the baby boom) and maybe other periods, as well. I really don't think that it is mentioned very often today to new parents.

[FlowerPower00]

Originally Posted by ScarletG

And what the return is is much more than a baby box....but yeah...why would we want anything like good schools and colleges, low crime, healthcare, maintained infrastructure...naw...horrible things all of them.

No country is perfect....but I'll pay my fair share to get closer to it and not have corporations get political kickbacks and then have departments that help employees apply for welfare instead of paying a living wage.

I need to spread some reputation around... Look at the prison industry this country support...people don't mind paying taxes for THAT...

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by charlygal

Is US infant mortality caused by lack of a baby bed and infant clothing? No? Then this type of box would have no bearing on the mortality rate.

The US has free clinics, SNAP, Medicaid, WIC and all types of services for low income pregnant women.

The main cause of infant mortality in the US is prematurity. As Natsku said, the purpose of the box is to get moms to get prenatal care, which can prevent prematurity (in some cases, of course).
Gone too soon What’s behind the high U.S. infant mortality rate - 2013 FALL - Stanford Medicine Magazine - Stanford University School of Medicine

[FlowerPower00]

Originally Posted by charlygal

Is US infant mortality caused by lack of a baby bed and infant clothing? No? Then this type of box would have no bearing on the mortality rate.

The US has free clinics, SNAP, Medicaid, WIC and all types of services for low income pregnant women.

The U.S has the highest infant mortality rate in Western Civilization. Our infant mortality rate is a national embarrassment - The Washington Post


Our survival of the fittest social Darwinism is destroying American Society.

[ScarletG]

Originally Posted by charlygal

Is US infant mortality caused by lack of a baby bed and infant clothing? No? Then this type of box would have no bearing on the mortality rate.

The US has free clinics, SNAP, Medicaid, WIC and all types of services for low income pregnant women.

All types of programs? Yeah...there are some programs in some areas...it varies greatly and many women in poverty don't even know what is out there....or if they have to travel to get to such places simply can't get to these "programs".

The US has one of the highest infant mortality rates....what does that tell you about how successful the current "programs" are?

[parentologist]

This is a GREAT idea! Parents would love it, and it would become socially acceptable to have the baby sleep in the box. A lot cheaper than a bassinet. I have a feeling that manufacturers would compete to have their products in the baby box. Great marketing.