A second Irish county is about to launch the Baby Box programme

New mums in Wexford are to be given boxes that double as cribs as part of a pilot scheme aimed at reducing Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

The idea was inspired by antenatal care in Finland, where the state gives mothers a package filled with useful items such as a snowsuit, hat and mittens, a thermometer, a bath towel, nail scissors, a teething toy and muslin squares, shortly before their baby is born. The baby box tradition in Finland is thought to have contributed to reducing the infant mortality rate in the country from 65 infant deaths per 1,000 births in 1938 to 2.26 per 1,000 births in 2015. The first baby box programme in Ireland was launched at University Maternity Hospital Limerick (UMHL) in September. The boxes, which can hold a baby up to eight months-old, were distributed to mother who completed a series of online education modules, booked through ante-natal clinics. The Wexford General Hospital#BabyBoxUniversity programme will be launched at Wexford Library on Mallin Street from 10:30am-12:30pm on Tuesday, April 25th. Drop by to meet health experts and claim your free #BabyBox. All parents who have a child less than three months of age or who are expecting a baby are welcome to participate. Do you think every county should introduce a baby box for new mums? Let us know on Twitter @HerFamilydotie. Main image: Chase, Facebook.com/thebabyboxcompany