Why Finnish babies sleep in cardboard boxes

[rug]

4 June 2013 Last updated at 06:15 ET
By Helena Lee
BBC News

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.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22751415

http://www.kela.fi/web/en/maternitypackage

[lame54]

1. SOCIALISM!!!...

What a cute baby

[Major Nikon]

12. How dare those godless commies!

[PatSeg]

2. What a great idea

So simple, yet very effective.

[TroglodyteScholar]

3. Does it come in gold or chrome?

Otherwise, no dice.

[grahamhgreen]

28. The bBox!

[adirondacker]

38. Deluxe!

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7vctt_be-bop-deluxe-maid-in-heaven_music

[Tigress DEM]

39. You mean bbBox. For the ittle bitty bb. nt

[grahamhgreen]

47. HAHA!

[LisaLynne]

4. Aw, it's like an official Welcome to the World!

It's so nice.

[hobbit709]

5. Here it's yoyo time as soon as you are born.

Hell, the republican ideal would be to make you pay for an empty box.

[Jackpine Radical]

26. And then find grounds to deny you the box.

[eqfan592]

6. Fantastic!!!

We could learn so damn much from countries like Finland. They are leading by example right now.

[RC]

15. We could learn so damn much from a lot of countries, about a lot of things.

[CFLDem]

22. No kidding

Places like Dubai- freaking Dubai- are light years ahead of this country when it comes to the initiative to build all sorts of unique architecture.

I just hope we find our gumption soon before it's too late.

[indepat]

34. When TPTB are eaten up with a right-wing ideology and mantra that has permeated every stratum of

governance and society, what you see are the fruits of this handiwork.

[RC]

37. 3rd worldism for us Hoi polloi.

Lots of poverty. low levels of education. High level of preventable deaths from a whole range of causes. War, to give the men something to do, so they are less likely to rebel. Like the Crusades, the Dark Ages.

[indepat]

46. All this and an uber-wealthy class living in walled/gated communities where those of the 99% will

only enter to work as servants, butlers, housekeepers, or gardeners at a minimum wage or less, a right-wing paradise come to 'murika, with thanks to the pols bought by right-wing lucre.

[Kaleva]

7. Kate and Prince William got one

"Not wanting Kate and Prince William to go without, the Finnish government sent the couple a Finnish baby box, a cardboard box full of goodies that, when empty, doubles as a sleeping vessel. The care package, doled out to all expectant mothers in Finland, has been widely credited with reducing infant mortality rates and has become a hot item for families-in-the-know all over the world."

http://www.eonline.com/news/435935/royal-baby-gifts-kate-middleton-prince-william-sent-famed-finnish-baby-box-camilla-scores-baby-food-in-wales

[Lisa0825]

10. WOW! That's a lot of goodies! Pic from your link...

[Kaleva]

14. A good starter set for any newborn.

[RC]

16. But, but, but the TAXES to PAY for all this!!!!1!!!11

Why should I help you to pay for your kid? That's socialism. People's gotta learn to be self-sufficient. How do ya expect other people to be self-sufficient if their government keeps helping everbody, instead showing'em who's in charge by droning an bombing'em?

That said, I think this gift box is a wonderful idea. The sorry part is, it wasn't invented here and to get our own government to implement something like this would be just as hard as passing a law for Single Payer, Universal Health Care in this country. It would help too many people. Too many people think as in the first paragraph above. Billions for bombs and we have to continually fight to keep the crumbs from being taken away and we depend on the generosity of others for what should be well woven government safety nets to prevent the poverty, pain and suffering of so many here.

A food bank here in Kansas City was empty the day before yesterday, not much hope of helping anyone for Thanksgiving this year. It took a news story, one news story, to fill it up to overflowing. A properly run government, responsive to the people, would all but eliminate the need for food banks in the first place.

PREAMBLE
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Section 8

1: The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

You and I are a part of the "general welfare" mentioned in the Constitution. We do well, the country does well. In fact, "We the people" ARE the purpose of the government. To look out for our general welfare, as charged twice in the Constitution.
Our government is sadly deficient in that department and yet most of us accept that as normal and right.

[SammyWinstonJack]

30. "general welfare of the United States" now means the MIC and our corporate overlords.

Provided for quite nicely by "We the people".


Like we have a choice in the matter.

[progressoid]

9. Outdoor gear?

Like a tent and Coleman stove?

[Gore1FL]

11. That's awesome. n/t

[valerief]

13. Those Finns are taking money out of billionaires' wallets! nt

[The Straight Story]

17. And the last item listed that comes in the box...Condoms

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 colours and patterns
Hooded bath towel, nail scissors, hairbrush, toothbrush, bath thermometer, nappy cream, wash cloth
Cloth nappy set and muslin squares
Picture book and teething toy
Bra pads, condoms

[Agschmid]

31. Love the last one.

[maced666]

18. Cartainly they could lop off the top 50% who can easily afford a cardboard box.

And take the money saved and give that 'gift from the govt' back to the lower 50% for post-birth care of some form.
Fine tune the program if you will.

[LWolf]

19. Typical American response,

and why social programs and services in our country simply sucks.

Always worried about giving too much, about someone not working hard enough, not earning or deserving something.

[polichick]

40. Yes - too, too American.

[NBachers]

27. grump grumble gripe fume

[SammyWinstonJack]

32. How do you know that the govt doesn't already offer post birth care of some form?

Bet they do.

[idwiyo]

49. Of course they do. Finland has NHS, like all civilised countries do. And parental leave. :)

[LeftyMom]

33. Once it's means tested there's pressure from the people who don't get it to cut corners.

"Why are there cute prints? The poors would be perfectly fine with white onesies." "Isn't this an excessive amount of clothes? The poors can stop being lazy and do their laundry more often." "We could save 25% on the snowsuit if we used a thinner material." And next thing you know the program's whittled down to uselessness.

edit: And part of the point is to eliminate class differences in infant care, and make sure every baby gets a good start.

[Posteritatis]

35. That sure is a heck of a thing for you to get offended about. (nt)

[TBF]

42. I'm hopeful that you just forgot your sarcasm tag.

[Lars39]

45. It's the basic idea that every one is equal, no matter what their bank account.

[dreamnightwind]

20. Clearly sucking at the government teat - eom

[LWolf]

21. When my first child was born, back in 1977,

I was sent home from the hospital with a care package. Not to this extent, but the hospital sent me home with a couple of bottles, cans of formula, a toy, a few diapers, and some pamphlets about new babies.

It turned out to be a good thing. I caught a staff infection in the hospital, woke up with a fever the first night home, and, after calling the doctor, was instructed not to breast feed while on the anti-biotics. That formula meant we weren't rushing out in the middle of the night to an all-night grocery store; having planned to breast-feed, there was no formula and no bottles in the house.

I really like the box, too. It looks easy to carry around; easier than a portable cradle.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

23. James Thompson is an American writer who has lived in Finland for many years

His Inspector Vaara novels give the impression that Finland is a crazy country that gets some things very right. Thompson is an American with a Finnish wife, but his main character is a Finnish man with an American wife.

In one of the books, the American wife's right-wing relatives come to visit, and it's Thompson's opportunity to explain Finland's social welfare system, including the baby box.

[otohara]

24. Safer Than Toxic Foam/Fire Retardant Cribs

made in China - stuffed and sprayed with Chemicals from chemical 3 companies.

Watch HBO's Toxic Hot Seat - it will make you want to throw out all the toxic baby items immediately.

[ryan_cats]

25. Wow, what a brilliant common sense idea.

Wow, what a brilliant common sense idea. So it will never happen here.

[BlueJazz]

29. The Mom's here get >>>

[idwiyo]

36. It even has CONDOMS!!! I can just see forced-birthers heads exploding ...

[ileus]

41. Pretty neat idea...but it would be rejected here in the states.

By everyone, rich and poor alike.

[Bucky]

43. Wow, some Americans are around for 30 or 40 years before they start sleeping in cardboard boxes

[dembotoz]

44. in milwaukee there is a huge problem with infants killed by sleeping in parents beds and being

suffocated

this seems like a very elegant solution to that problem

[cui bono]

48. It they did it here in the US it would be because the 1% wants to make sure

we're used to sleeping in cardboard boxes before we all need to due to their greed. The more we get used to things the less we'll complain.

[Liberal_in_LA]

50. good idea

Good idea