The "Baby Box" that changed Finland Forever

Finland, a country in the Nordic region, is known for many things, from the Aurora Borealis to saunas to its many lakes. But it is the "social innovation" of the Baby Box that changed the country's well-being, leading to transforming its development and standard of living by securing the health of expecting mothers and their babies.

What is a Finnish Baby Box?

It is a simple box given by the Finnish government via Kela, Finland’s Social Insurance Institution, to expecting families. The box is given to every Finnish family, rich or poor alike and contains baby cloths, personal care products for the baby and the parents.

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Watch:The baby box that changed Finland's future, lowest mortality rate in the world

The 2024 package includes 39 products, including a sleeping bag, a blanket, bib, thermometer, toothbrush, etc. The box is in fact the first bed of a Finnish baby and is used as a hygienic sleeping space. The box is made of recycled corrugated cardboard and usually weighs around 8 kg. All in all, a starter kit for the baby and is linked to health care check-ups of the mother.

National identity

The baby box is today Finland's national identity and in many ways, a shared experience that bridges generations. Finland does provide maternity grants, but according to Kela, the country's insurance giant, most first-time mothers choose the box over alternative cash grants.

Verneri Aalto, Communications specialist, Kela, told WION, "It started in the 1930s, when Finland was a poor country, real material deprivation. Back then, for the family who did not have money to buy clothes. So, at that time, Finland was a poor country. Today we are a wealthy welfare state but still proud to have a baby box, like a symbol of the social security system". The Finnish baby box is available as a benefit under the Finnish social security system and is not commercially available.

A century of impact

The roots of the current baby box can be traced back to 1922, when “circulating baskets” filled with hand-sewn clothes were used by more than one family together. The baby boxes were formally introduced by the Finnish government in 1938 for disadvantaged mothers, tying it to mandatory antenatal care visits. This played a role in shifting societal norms, encouraging healthier maternal behaviours. The separate sleeping space for the baby a century ago, when Finland was not that developed and faced the ravages of World War 2, reduced the risk of catching infectious diseases.

How Baby Box changed Finland?

Finland has the lowest maternal and infant mortality rates in the world. Something that was not a norm a century ago when the country was not as wealthy as it is now. The Baby Box played a key role in promoting overall public health. The infant mortality rate in Finland is only 2/1000 live born children according to 2018 Finland govt data. The baby box is a message of the well-being of mothers and babies, a simple out-of-the-box thinking a century ago.