Baby Boxes in Cape Breton
For more than 75 years, Finland's expectant mothers have been given a Baby Box by the state that serves as a starter kit for their new baby. It contains clothes, blankets, other newborn necessities, and the Baby Box itself, which is lined with a mattress.
The Baby Box program has helped Finland achieve one of the world’s lowest infant mortality rates. The initiative, which enables every expecting woman in the country to claim a free Baby Box once she receives prenatal care and parenting information from a healthcare professional, is credited with helping to decrease Finland’s infant mortality rate from 65 deaths for each 1,000 children born in 1938 to 3 deaths per 1,000 births in 2013.
The mission of the Baby Box Company is to improve outcomes for mothers and children; to educate expecting and new parents, promote key health issues like safe sleep practices and breastfeeding, and to promote maternal and infant health and wellbeing.
The Baby Box University is an educational service provided by the Baby Box Company in coordination with committed medical professionals, maternal health advocates and child development specialists for the purposes of reducing infant mortality and empowering parents. Starting on January 30th, moms-to-be or moms with a baby under the age of 3 months can visit www.babyboxuniversity.com and watch a short educational video. After watching the video, they will receive a certificate that they can then redeem for their free baby box.
Families in Cape Breton will have access to the baby boxes via distribution locations in Inverness at Inverness Chiropractic and in Sydney at Island Chiropractic & Family Wellness. “We treat a lot of expectant mothers at our clinic, so we were thrilled when we were chosen as a distribution centre for this great program” says Dr. Jen Maher. Participants who do not have access to the Internet can have arrangements made for them to watch the videos at the distribution locations.
How to get your baby box:
http://www.babyboxco.com/blogs/news/how-to-get-a-nova-scotia-prince-edward-island-or-newfoundland-and-labrador-baby-box-in-3-steps
Please call ahead to confirm a pick-up time.