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IrishBubbaLiberal

(2,561 posts)
Fri Jun 27, 2025, 02:46 PM Jun 27

BBC: Why Finnish babies sleep in cardboard boxes [View all]


https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-22751415

Why Finnish babies sleep in cardboard boxes

4 June 2013

For 75 years, Finland's expectant mothers have been given a box by the state. It's like a starter kit of clothes, sheets and toys that can even be used as a bed. And some say it helped Finland achieve one of the world's lowest infant mortality rates.

It's a tradition that dates back to the 1930s and it's designed to give all children in Finland, no matter what background they're from, an equal start in life.
The maternity package - a gift from the government - is available to all expectant mothers.

It contains bodysuits, a sleeping bag, outdoor gear, bathing products for the baby, as well as nappies, bedding and a small mattress.
With the mattress in the bottom, the box becomes a baby's first bed. Many children, from all social backgrounds, have their first naps within the safety of the box's four cardboard walls.

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