At the beginning of this year Scotland started their Free Baby Box scheme where all new mothers are given a Finnish-style Baby Box packed with newborn essentials. Now certain areas of England have also launched the scheme, and although it is not yet across the whole of the UK it is hoped that more areas will follow.
As well as the boxes being given to all new Mums in Scotland, they are now available in certain areas of Birmingham, Liverpool, and the latest is Wigan in Greater Manchester.
The Manchester Evening News reports that the baby boxes are now being given to every new or expectant mum that signs up for the Baby University scheme in Wigan provided by the Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh (WWL) NHS Foundation Trust.
The Baby Boxes are sturdy cardboard boxes which contain clothing, blankets and other newborn essentials. They are designed to be used as a bed for a newborn as well, to make it easier for babies to sleep in the same room as their parents.
The boxes were first introduced in Finland in 1938 and had a notable effect in reducing infant mortality rates, and it is hoped that the same will happen here.
A spokesperson for the Wigan NHS Trust said that: "We know just how important baby's health and wellbeing is to parents. The Baby Box is a wonderfully simple alternative to a Moses basket, which ensures baby sleeps safely for their first six months. The use of the boxes has been proven to help reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, and we are hoping that we can replicate these results within the Wigan borough."
Is this something you would like to see in all areas of the UK and available to all new parents?
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