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| Cot death charity raises doubts over baby boxes | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A cot death charity has raised doubts over the benefits of Finnish-style baby boxes, which infants can sleep in. | |
| Issuing new advice to parents, The Lullaby Trust said there was no evidence baby boxes reduced the rate of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). | Issuing new advice to parents, The Lullaby Trust said there was no evidence baby boxes reduced the rate of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). |
| The cardboard box, filled with baby products and a mattress, can itself be used as a bed, and has been given to new parents by some NHS trusts. | The cardboard box, filled with baby products and a mattress, can itself be used as a bed, and has been given to new parents by some NHS trusts. |
| The charity said its leaflets would no longer be put in the boxes. | The charity said its leaflets would no longer be put in the boxes. |
| "We will no longer allow our branded leaflets to be enclosed...as this suggests we endorse the product," said the charity, which provides expert advice on safer baby sleep for the NHS. | "We will no longer allow our branded leaflets to be enclosed...as this suggests we endorse the product," said the charity, which provides expert advice on safer baby sleep for the NHS. |
| The box tradition originates from Finland, where for 75 years, every pregnant woman has been given a box filled with things like nappies, clothes, bedding and a mattress. | The box tradition originates from Finland, where for 75 years, every pregnant woman has been given a box filled with things like nappies, clothes, bedding and a mattress. |
| Finland has one of the lowest infant mortality rates in the world - two deaths per 1,000 live births, compared with a global rate of 32 in 1,000, according to the UN. | Finland has one of the lowest infant mortality rates in the world - two deaths per 1,000 live births, compared with a global rate of 32 in 1,000, according to the UN. |
| Francine Bates, chief executive of the Lullaby Trust, told BBC Radio 5 live Finland's "fantastic record" was due to a variety of reasons, including lower teenage pregnancy rates. | Francine Bates, chief executive of the Lullaby Trust, told BBC Radio 5 live Finland's "fantastic record" was due to a variety of reasons, including lower teenage pregnancy rates. |
| She said: "The fact that they give a box out to every family may be a factor but we can't say that definitively." | She said: "The fact that they give a box out to every family may be a factor but we can't say that definitively." |
| 'We were reluctant to give it up' | |
| Miia, 40, and her partner Tim, from Reading, were sent a baby box by her Finnish mother when their son was born eight months ago. | |
| She told the BBC: "It's quite a traditional thing. I slept in one myself. You get a box full of baby clothes from newborn to one years old. | |
| "The idea is that you get the basics so you don't have to buy any more. You also get toys and toothbrushes and all sorts of other things. | |
| "A foam mattress is included so you can use it as a box to sleep in. We ended up using it until he was about five months old. | |
| "We kept the box on the floor next to the bed on my side. He was happy and I think he felt quite safe in it. I was quite reluctant to move him away from it. | |
| "But when he got bigger he started to wake himself up knocking against the side of the box. It was getting a bit snug." | |
| A box scheme is due to be rolled out for all newborn babies across Scotland this month. Some areas in England also give out boxes. | A box scheme is due to be rolled out for all newborn babies across Scotland this month. Some areas in England also give out boxes. |
| A spokesperson for the Scottish government said it was "proud" to introduce the box in Scotland, where it will "help tackle deprivation, improve health and support parents". | A spokesperson for the Scottish government said it was "proud" to introduce the box in Scotland, where it will "help tackle deprivation, improve health and support parents". |
| They said the Scottish baby box meets the "highest safety standards", adding: "It was awarded British Safety Standard accreditation as a crib for domestic use - the first non-commercial baby box in the world to do so." | They said the Scottish baby box meets the "highest safety standards", adding: "It was awarded British Safety Standard accreditation as a crib for domestic use - the first non-commercial baby box in the world to do so." |
| Ms Bates said that while the boxes can be tested for elements of safety standards, "the fact is there is no safety standard anywhere in the world that applies directly to a cardboard box." | |
| "We're very clear that a cot or a Moses basket is the safest place for a baby to sleep," she said, adding that she was concerned the boxes were being marketed as products to reduce sudden infant death syndrome. | |
| However, she said the box may be a good option for daytime naps if there is no alternative, and that it was "certainly a better alternative than sleeping a baby on a beanbag or a sofa". | |
| SIDS, also known as cot death, is the sudden unexplained death of an apparently healthy baby. | SIDS, also known as cot death, is the sudden unexplained death of an apparently healthy baby. |
| There were 230 sudden infant deaths in the UK in 2014, following a downward trend in the last decade. In 2001, there were 330. | There were 230 sudden infant deaths in the UK in 2014, following a downward trend in the last decade. In 2001, there were 330. |
| The do's and don'ts of baby boxes: | The do's and don'ts of baby boxes: |
| If you do decide to use a baby box, the Lullaby Trust recommends the following: | If you do decide to use a baby box, the Lullaby Trust recommends the following: |
| Have you used a baby box for your child? Share your views and experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. | Have you used a baby box for your child? Share your views and experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. |
| Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: | Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: |
| Or use the form below | Or use the form below |