Finland pioneered the idea of a baby box in 1938, and afterward, the country experienced a large drop in infant mortality rates. Now, these boxes are popping up all over the world, with some U.S. hospitals providing the cardboard cribs to patients in need.
A typical baby box measures roughly 27.5 inches long, 17 inches wide and 10.5 inches tall. The cardboard box contains a foam mattress along with most of the supplies essential to a newborn's care including blankets, clothing, pacifiers and bibs.
Baby boxes provide a safe space for a newborn to sleep, reducing the health risks associated with makeshift cribs or a baby sleeping in the same bed as a parent or sibling.
U.S. pediatricians and advocacy groups are urging hospitals to provide baby boxes in an attempt to lower America's infant mortality rate of 5.87 death per 1,000 births — the highest of any wealthy nation. For reference, Finland's infant death rate is 2.52 deaths per 1,000 births.
University Hospital in San Antonio introduced baby boxes in 2015 to address a rise in occurrences of sudden infant death syndrome. Initially, the hospital gave 100 boxes to new mothers. After they proved popular, the hospital ordered 500 more to keep up with demand.
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