Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia is gifting new moms with baby boxes.
Good Housekeeping reports that the boxes retail between $80-$100 each. The research team believes the boxes can help break the cycle of parents co-sleeping with babies. And this, in turn, will cut down on infant mortality rates. The year-long study provides a dedicated website that provides helpful tips for new moms.
The Baby Box Company Has A Great Product
The boxes are manufactured by The Baby Box Company and serve as functioning bassinets complete with a sheet and a firm mattress. This helps to keep babies on their back and away from crib hazards like stuffed animals and other toys. The boxes also include other new baby essentials like onesies.
A Positive Step In Reducing Infant Mortality Rates
Philly.com reports that co-sleeping may be the result of parents being unable to afford a crib, or it can be generational. Temple reports that North Philadelphia has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the country. Poverty is an issue for some new moms who don’t have resources to care for their newborns.
Women Are Loving The Baby Boxes
Dr. Megan Heere shared with ABC News, that Temple is the first hospital in the United States to test baby boxes on “this large of a scale.” Dr. Heere admits she wasn’t sure how people would respond to putting their babies in a box, but that the response has been “overwhelmingly positive.”
I’ve Had My Own Experiences Of A New Baby And An Unboxed Crib
Thirty years ago, my first baby came three weeks ahead of schedule. My mother gifted my then-husband and me a Bassett crib and dresser ensemble. The crib was still in is packing box when she arrived. For her first night home, I outfitted a dresser drawer and she slept soundly. The next day we picked up a 1986 version of a Pak N’ Play and she hung out there until her crib was assembled. I still had reservations because there were several screws left over when my husband finished the job.
Keeping Babies Safe Is Called Adulting
The issue of co-sleeping was revisited with this daughter and her baby’s father. I arrived to stay for a month (as my mother had done for me) just ahead of my daughter’s due date. I listened to my granddaughter’s dad tell the story of both of his sisters’ co-sleeping with their newborns. That was not going to happen on my watch. She had a bassinet and all was well until I heard him and my daughter arguing.
Parents Are The Responsible Parties And Need To Stay Informed
He wanted the air from the fan to blow directly on him. The problem was that the baby’s bassinet was on the side of their bed and it was too much air for a three-day-old infant. My daughter let him have it when he suggested putting a sheet or blanket over the baby. That’s a no-no. Every new parent needs to know that babies can’t shake covers off like big kids and adults. They just can’t and to ignore this fact puts babies at risk.
Temple Is Leading By Example
Anything that helps new parents keep babies safe from harm is a good thing. The study at Temple will run a full year and will be evaluated to see if in fact the baby boxes help reduce co-sleeping and the infant mortality rate. Finland has been onto baby boxes for a long time. Every new mom leaves the hospital with a baby box.
If it works let’s do it. There is nothing more precious than the gift of a new baby. Let’s make baby boxes a trending topic and keep little ones safe.
Featured Image: Getty/WPAPool
