States Give New Parents Baby Boxes To Encourge Safe Sleep Habits
The baby boxes that Finland gives to all new mothers are legendary. Now states in the U.S. are experimenting with them as a way to encourage safe sleep practices and reduce SIDS.
For Jernica Quiñones, the reality of sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS, hit close to home this year when a friend woke up on New Year's Day and discovered the lifeless body of her baby girl.
That's why Quiñones' 4-month-old son, Bless'n, has spent a lot of his life so far sleeping in a cardboard box.
The 33-year-old mother of five took part in a program in New Jersey that promotes safe sleep education through the distribution of "baby boxes" that double as bassinets.
"Some mothers can't buy a Pack-n-Play or a crib," Quiñones says. And that can lead to bed sharing, a risk factor for SIDS.
The program is a riff on Finland's well-known , or maternity package, which the government gives to
