New Jersey Gives Out Free Baby Boxes in Move to Lower Infant Mortality Rates

Newborn babies in New Jersey will now be sent home with a box fitted with a mattress and waterproof sheet, diapers, wipes, and other supplies, reports CNN. 

The baby box program follows the example of Finland, which has had a similar program in place since the 1930s. Any expecting parent or parents of infants younger than 3 months old in New Jersey can take a short online educational program and receive a box filled with newborn essentials that can also serve as a safe sleeping space.

The Baby Box Co., a California-based company, paired up with New Jersey’s Child Fatality and Near Fatality Review Board on a grant from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention in order to reduce Sudden Unexpected Infant Death and improve family health care.

According to the company, the program will continue beyond 2017 based on its success, measured by parents’ use of the boxes and improvements tracked in the state’s health outcomes.