The Finnish baby box
The Finnish baby box, which saw the light of day in 1937, can rightly be regarded as
a veritable packaging innovation. It contains a selection of items needed by the newborn baby and the family: garments, blanket, bath towel, bib, and so on. The family of every baby born i Finland receives the box if they so choose. To receive the box, mothers must undergo a medical examination at a clinic before their fourth month of pregnancy, improving maternal and infant health outcomes. Elsewhere, maternity boxes of different types are distributed in at least 63 countries under 91 different programmes. The baby box is more than just a carton filled with things. In many countries, the family finds in it information related to the health and upbringing of the child and also information on reproductive health. In Finland the baby box has been distributed since 1937, initially to parents with limited means. After World War II, starting in 1949, it has been given to all families with a newborn baby. To begin with, the ’box’ was an enamelled wash basin, which was later replaced with a box made of corrugated paperboard.
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