Genevive Hart was just 3 days old when her mother, Caroline Hart, put her in a box. Mom then noticed that the baby would become fussier whenever she tried to take her out.
The box is no ordinary container, though. It was inspired by Finland's baby boxes. In Finland, every parent receives a specially designed box for a baby to sleep in that prevents sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) due to their firm mattresses. The box also comes with supplies needed to care for a newborn.
Finland has the lowest mortality rate of any country in the world, all thanks to the simple boxes provided free of charge to citizens. Now, the boxes are being provided at Nathan Littauer Hospital in New York.
"It's very functional," Caroline explained. "We can bring it from room to room, wherever we need to set her down, maybe in a hurry."
The hospital expects 350 babies will be born there this year, and each will receive a special box. Half of the boxes were donated, while the other half were acquired through grants.
"We're serving a rural community. We're serving moms that could really need this, moms who may move frequently, moms who may not have that shiny new crib," said hospital representative Cheryl G. McGrattan.
To receive the box, parents must watch an educational video about best practices for a newborn. One couple in the program already admitted they didn't know babies must sleep on their backs.
"There's about 2,000 babies a year in the United States that are harmed by sleeping in the parents' bed,"said Dr. Peter Dowling.
These boxes are sure to make a difference in hundreds of children's lives. What do you think of baby boxes? Let us know in the comments!
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