New mothers attending Wexford Hospital have received good news this week, with the announcement that the Baby Box programme is to be rolled out there.
If you haven’t heard about the Baby Box and its many benefits, well, where have you been?!
The Baby Box scheme originated in Finland, where it has dramatically reduced the infant mortality rate in the almost-80 years since its introduction.
The idea behind the Baby Box is that every baby gets the same chance. So, when new parents are leaving the hospital after having their babies, they are presented with a cardboard box that also serves as a crib for the first six months of the baby’s life.
The Baby Box comes with a waterproof mattress, and is initially filled with all of the essentials that every new parent will need, from nappies to clothing right down to equipment like a nail scissors.
The initiative has had an overwhelmingly positive impact in Finland. Since its introduction, the infant mortality has gone from 65 per 1,000 (before the arrival of the Baby Box), to 2.5 per 1,000; unsurprisingly, they now have one of the world’s lowest rates.
Indeed, its benefits are so impressive that the Baby Box scheme has spread all over the world, becoming increasingly popular in hospitals across the US and the UK.
And while the Baby Box scheme is being rolled out in Wexford Hospital this week, it’s not the first Irish hospital to adopt the new programme. It has already proven successful in University Maternity Hospital Limerick, since its introduction last year.
Commenting on the introduction of the Baby Box programme at the time, Consultant Gynaecologist at University Maternity Hospital Limerick Dr Mendinaro Imcha welcomed the move.
“We are combining tradition with current technology, and supporting the newborn child’s family with online educational material covering a broad range of essential topics on ante and postnatal care.
“It’s a proactive approach to improving the health and safety of the newborn child and the parents.”
Will you be one of the lucky ones to receive a Baby Box? Or would you like to see the initiative rolled out in your local hospital? Let us know!
