Maternity package

A Finnish couple rejoice in opening their maternity package
The maternity package, in neutral colors, is seen next to a mother expecting a baby.
A mother expecting a baby receives the package.

The Maternity package (Finnish: äitiyspakkaus, Swedish: moderskapsförpackning) is a kit granted by the Finnish social security institution Kela, to all expectant or adoptive parents who live in Finland or are covered by the Finnish social security system. The package contains children's clothes and other necessary items, such as nappies, bedding, cloth, gauze towels and child-care products.[1] It was first issued in 1938[2] to parents with a low income, and contained a blanket, crib sheets, diapers, and fabric which parents could use to make clothing for the baby.[3]

Since 1949 it has been given to all mothers-to-be, provided they visited a doctor or municipal pre-natal clinic before the end of their fourth month of pregnancy, and the pregnancy has lasted at least 154 days.[4] The contents of the package are updated approximately every year.[5]

Following a BBC story in June 2013, the "baby box" began to receive international attention. Similar packages, commercial or state-sponsored, are being trialled around the world.

Package

Picture of some of the items inside the maternity package in 2014.
Parts of the maternity package in 2014.

In 1949, the box given was standard to all expectant mothers who visited a doctor before the fourth month of pregnancy[3] per the Finnish Maternity Grants Act. A baby bottle was added to the package, but was removed in later packages to encourage breastfeeding.[3][6] The requirement to visit a doctor as a prerequisite to receiving the package was done in order ensure that the woman received adequate prenatal care.[7]

The box containing the package transforms into a crib in which many newborns have their first naps.[7] A mother may choose to take the maternity package, or a cash grant of 140 euros, but 95% of Finnish mothers choose the box because it's worth significantly more.[7] The maternity package can either be applied for online, on Kela's website, or by completing and returning a form.[5]

The current package contents include bodysuits, a sleeping bag, outdoor gear, bathing products for the baby, nappies and cream, bedding and a small mattress (allowing the box to be used as a crib),[8] a hooded bath towel, nail scissors, hairbrush, toothbrush, wash cloth, muslin squares, a picture book, teething toy, bra pads, and condoms.[9]

The maternity package is not a commercial product, and therefore Kela cannot sell it.[5] Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge received a maternity package as a gift from Kela in 2013. Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden were given one in 2012.[4]

Content of the package in 2017

In 2017 the box contained following items:[10]

  • Snowsuit / sleeping bag 68–74 cm (27–29 in)
  • Insulated mittens and booties
  • Sleeping bag / blanket 95 cm × 95 cm (37 in × 37 in)
  • Light-weight overall with hood 68–74 cm
  • Wool-blend coverall 68–74 cm
  • Wool cap
  • Balaclava hood 62–68 cm (24–27 in)
  • Cap
  • College overall / jumpsuit 62–68 cm
  • Romper suit 50–56 cm (20–22 in)
  • Wrap around body suit 50–56 cm
  • Bodysuit with extender 62–68 cm
  • Bodysuit 68–74 cm
  • Bodysuit 62–68 cm
  • 2 × Wrap around bodysuit 50–56 cm
  • 2 × Leggings 62–68 cm
  • 2 × Leggings 68–74 cm
  • 2 × Footed leggings 50–56 cm
  • Tights 62–68 cm
  • Socks and mittens 19–21
  • Socks 19–21
  • Sleeping bag / nightdress 62–68 cm
  • Bedding and linen
    • Blanket, off-white 80 cm × 120 cm (31 in × 47 in)
    • Duvet cover with pattern of baby footprints on green background 85 cm × 130 cm (33 in × 51 in)
    • White sheet 90 cm × 150 cm (35 in × 59 in)
    • Protector 90 cm × 150 cm (can be used, for instance, as protection for the mattress)
    • Mattress 700 mm × 428 mm × 40 mm (27.6 in × 16.9 in × 1.6 in)
  • Pocket nappy and cotton gauze insert
  • Towel 85 cm × 85 cm (33 in × 33 in)
  • Personal care items (bra pads, nail scissors, toothbrush, digital thermometer, talcum powder, nipple cream, condoms (6pcs), lubricant, sanitary towels, bath thermometer, hairbrush)
  • Feeding bib
  • Drooling bib / scarf
  • First book titled "Lystileikit vauvan kanssa” in Finnish and Swedish
  • Cuddly toy / comfort blanket

Effects

The program resulted in increased prenatal care for pregnant women, and decreased infant mortality.[3] The program is now considered a part of the culture of Finland.[6]

Similar programs in other countries

In July 2015, Argentina's Ministry of Health under then-president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner introduced "Plan Qunita" which distributes maternity packages to parents of newborn babies. At the rollout of the program, about 144,000 Qunitas were issued.[11][12]

Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon pledged to implement a similar scheme in Scotland in her party's manifesto for the 2016 election,[13] which saw the SNP returned as a minority government. After a three-month pilot scheme in Clackmannanshire and Orkney, the Scottish "baby box" began to be issued to all parents with newborns in summer 2017,[14] with over 52,000 such boxes issued in the first twelve months of the program.[15]

In the summer of 2017, it was announced that the U.S. state of New Jersey would become the first state in the country to adopt the baby box program.[16]

See also

  • Layette, a collection of infant clothing prepared (made, bought, or given) during pregnancy

Notes

  1. ↑ Kela: Maternity package.
  2. ↑ Korppi-Tommola 2006, p. 15.
  3. 1 2 3 4 United Press International 2013.
  4. 1 2 BBC 2013.
  5. 1 2 3 Kela: Maternity grant.
  6. 1 2 Tierney 2013.
  7. 1 2 3 Lee 2013.
  8. ↑ Lee, Helena (2013-06-04). "Why Finnish babies sleep in cardboard boxes". BBC News. Retrieved 2014-07-08.
  9. ↑ "Royal baby: William and Catherine get Finnish baby box". BBC News. 2013-07-02. Retrieved 2014-07-08.
  10. ↑ "Maternity package". www.kela.fi. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
  11. ↑ "Qué es el plan Qunita que anunció hoy la presidenta Cristina Kirchner". LA NACION (in Spanish). 16 July 2015. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  12. ↑ "The scandal around baby crib handouts, or, 'The Qunita Plan,' explained". The Bubble. 2016-02-17. Retrieved 2016-09-26.
  13. ↑ "Manifesto 2016" (PDF). Scottish National Party. 2016. p. 4. Retrieved 27 April 2017. Every new-born in Scotland will be entitled to a ‘baby box’, offering essential items for a child’s first weeks – adapting the successful Finnish model which has helped to improve lives for babies and toddlers.
  14. ↑ "Scottish baby box pilot scheme launched". BBC News Online. 2017-01-01. Retrieved 2017-01-01.
  15. ↑ "More than 52,000 baby boxes given out in scheme's first year". BBC News Online. 2018-08-15. Retrieved 2018-10-07.
  16. ↑ CNN, Tal Trachtman Alroy. "New Jersey gives out free baby boxes". CNN. Retrieved 2017-08-03.

References

  • Korppi-Tommola, Aura (2006), Women’s Role in Finnish Democracy Building, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, retrieved 2013-11-05
  • Lee, Helena (4 June 2013). "Why Finnish babies sleep in cardboard boxes". BBC News. Retrieved 2013-07-03.
  • Tierney, Dominic (13 April 2013). "Finland's 'Baby Box': Gift from Santa Claus or Socialist Hell?". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2013-11-05.
  • "Royal baby: William and Catherine get Finnish baby box". BBC News. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
  • "Maternity grant". Kela. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
  • "Maternity package". Kela. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
  • "A simple cardboard box helped Finland reduce infant mortality". United Press International. 4 June 2013. Retrieved 2013-11-05.
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