CARDBOARD BABY BOXES Concerns about the promotion of a cardboard baby box as a place for infants to sleep

Abstract

The successful reduction in cot deaths (sudden infant death syndrome or SIDS) in England and Wales from nearly 1600 deaths in 1988 to less than 200 in 2015 stems from evidence based research.1 Results from case-control studies internationally form the basis for infant sleep recommendations. We are, therefore, concerned that cardboard boxes are being promoted for infant sleep, as a safe alternative to the more traditional cots, bassinets, or Moses baskets, without any observational evidence in place.23 The cardboard baby box is based on a Finnish tradition of giving pregnant women a box full of free infant care items—including a mattress that fits into the bottom of the box as a makeshift infant sleeping environment—as an incentive to enter prenatal care early. It was one component of a drive towards reducing health inequalities, recognising the privations of the Finnish population after the second world war. Any government or charity that is willing to provide a box full of free unbranded infant care items should be applauded, but we have three concerns: the scarcity of observational evidence that the cardboard baby box can be used safely (and no evidence that it reduces SIDS), the lack of safety standard regulations in place, …