Have you ever heard that cardboard boxes contain useful materials to contribute to the health of newborn babies? In Finland, for example, each mother receives a cardboard box with gifts for her baby. Coincidence or not, the country has one of the lowest death rates in the world.
In Finland, mothers are presented with a cardboard box that can be used as the first crib, as inside it comes a mattress to accommodate the child, as well as clothes, pajamas, hats, shoes, bibs, diapers, bath products and a photo album. This idea has been disseminated in other countries, such as South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada.
Because it is a simple idea, social entrepreneurs decided to adapt it both according to the needs of each family and in line with the local culture. For example, if the country is experiencing an outbreak of infection, the box may contain products to help prevent it. Two African entrepreneurs concluded that, for them, the best option would be a plastic box that could also be used as a bathtub. A student at Harvard University in the USA came up with the idea of ​​adopting the box for residents of South Asia, inside it there are tools to prevent infections during and after birth, as well as a mosquito net to protect babies from malaria.
“We want to offer new mothers cost-effective solutions to save lives by tackling the preventable causes of infant and maternal mortality,” says Ladhani, a doctoral student at Harvard University.
Although with so many benefits, the main objective of this project is to encourage mothers to attend prenatal consultations, since the boxes are only distributed to those who go to the consultations correctly.
In developed countries, the Finnish box is also being replicated. A project that will initially donate 600 boxes will be launched at Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea hospital in London, UK. “We assume that people have the money to buy a bassinet or a crib, but this is not always the case. In addition, the box also strengthens the relationship between parents and children, as it is easy to carry and this is good for strengthening the bond”, says gynecologist Karen Joash, obstetrical counselor of the program.
Images: Internet reproduction
- Text written by Natália Nocelli from the Eu Sem Fronteiras Team.
