It might sound strange to have babies sleep in cardboard boxes, but in Finland, it turns out that this has actually saved lives. In the 19 thirties, Finland was a country that had a fairly high mortality rate. 65 out of every 1,000 babies born died. Then, in 1938, that all changed when expectant parents in Finland were offered boxes that were basically start up kits for parenting.

All expectant mothers receive a box that contains the following items: mattress, under sheets, blanket, mattress cover, duvet cover sleeping bag and quilt, hat, snow suit, booties, insulated mittens, knitted overalls, white hooded suit, mittens, socks, balaclava, knitted hat, romper suits, leggings, bodysuits, hairbrush, toothbrush, bath thermometer, and more.
The boxes basically contain everything that new parents need for their new babies. The best part, perhaps, is that the boxes themselves function as cribs. Many parents have their new babies sleep in these boxes.
Finland in this day and age has one of the lowest rates of infant mortality in the world. In fact, it was named the “Best Place To Be A Mother On Earth” by the Save the Children Foundation. When people think about babies sleeping in boxes, they might think about poverty and bad conditions, but that is not at all the case with these boxes. In fact, it also encourages pregnant women to get the prenatal care they need, because the boxes are only given to mothers who visit doctors at a certain point in their pregnancies.