Every Newborn In Finland Sleeps In A Cardboard Box For This Brilliant Reason

Can you imagine a world where every single baby is given the exact same start, no matter what color they are, how much money their parents have, or where they live? Children have to overcome enough hurdles as it is, like this newborn who died but still managed to pull through, or this one who is overcoming his deafness.


Well, you don't have to imagine any more; it exists — in Finland. With their thinking and policies, the government of Finland seems so far ahead of the rest of the world's governments. They are ahead in education, taking care of their elderly and expectant mothers. Every single expectant mother in Finland receives a box including these items:

• Mattress, mattress cover, undersheet, duvet cover, blanket, sleeping bag/quilt
• Box itself doubles as a crib
• Snowsuit, hat, insulated mittens, and booties
• Light, hooded suit and knitted overalls
• Socks and mittens, knitted hat and balaclava
• Bodysuits, romper suits, and leggings in unisex colors and patterns
• Hooded bath towel, nail scissors, hairbrush, toothbrush, bath thermometer, nappy cream, washcloth
• Cloth nappy set and muslin squares
• Picture book and teething toy
• Bra pads, condoms

And it's totally free. The baby boxes are provided by the government to help ensure the safety and welfare of every child!

“There was a recent report saying that Finnish mums are the happiest in the world, and the box was one thing that came to my mind. We are very well taken care of, even now when some public services have been cut down a little,” Titta Vayrynen, a 35-year-old mother of two boys, told the BBC.

Getting the box requires only one small thing that the mothers have to do, and it's really saving lives. You can see how it all works below.

A baby sleeping in a box? It may seem strange at first, but when you realize why they do this, you'll see it's genius.


BBC
Every expectant mother can also expect to receive one of these boxes for free.


YouTube
The box includes everything a newborn needs like clothing, outerwear, toys, books and the bottom of the box is a mattress.


Wikipedia
In the 1930s Finland was a much poorer country with a high infant mortality rate. In fact, 65 out of every 1000 babies died.


Matthew Yglesias / Flickr
After they began providing these genius maternity kits in 1938 everything changed. Today Finland has one of the lowest infant mortality rates in the world. The Save The Children Foundation named it the "Best Place To Be A Mother On Earth!"


Wikipedia
Watch the video to see how the baby boxes continue to save infants' lives in Finland.


SHARE if you also believe the baby boxes should be available to mothers all over the world!