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Why babies are sleeping in boxes
- Ericson2314 11y agoState-based social safety net -> trendy product :(
- justifier 11y ago> It has been credited with helping Finland achieve one of the world's lowest infant mortality rates. why the frowny face?
- deleted 11y ago[deleted]
- wolfram74 11y agoWeren't you aware? The state isn't allowed to innovate in positive things, only misery and despotism.
- Ericson2314 11y agoNo, I meant just about the opposite sentiment, thankfully.
- Ericson2314 11y agoFine with the NGOs, but weren't some of the other imitators just going profit (I think I read that correctly)? It seems they were more attached to the "Bento Box" aesthetic than the sucesss idea of the original government service to make infant hood more uniform and healthy. Turning it into a product flips the original egalitarian goals on their head.
- justifier 11y agook, i think i understand your sentiment a little better now but i'll say, i remember reading about the finnish boxes years ago but that is where it ended for me, i read the article and moved on these article described entrepreneurs learned about the boxes and made an effort, be it for profit, to do something similar for others in the absence of anything else i still would commend a for profit effort i think any derision should be lauded against the political bodies in the places where the for profits are able to effect change due to a lack social legislation
- srtjstjsj 11y agoThe HN title misses a key point of the article -- this was a Finnish practice that has now spread worldwide. original article from 2013 about Finland: http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-22751415 http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-22751415
- ridgeguy 11y agoThe posted article illustrates one of the things I like about HN, which is visibility on the wide range of technologies people deploy to get things done. On one end of the spectrum, we've got fabulous hardware & code & infrastructure (think SpaceX's recent ocean touchdown), ultimately making life better and more interesting. On the other, we've got a blindingly simple 'technology' (a box filled with useful stuff for somebody who's going to have a baby), and people fielding it in different ways to make life better and more interesting. Thanks for posting this article.
- rpgmaker 11y agoI googled images about this practice and I saw some of the boxes were being left on the floor. I certainly hope that people aren't leaving their babies in these boxes ON THE FLOOR overnight. I don't want to sound morbid but depending on where you live there are places where you can't even leave newborn puppies like that without rats having them for breakfast.
- TulliusCicero 11y agoWhat a weird comment. You know that worrying about rats invading your home during the night is a rather uncommon concern in developed countries?
- ars 11y agoThat's hardly true. Rats exist in basically every country. But they don't typically attack humans, only if there is a massive overpopulation and not enough food. Also, rats climb quite well - putting the box higher up is no guarantee.
- rpgmaker 11y agoWhich is why I qualified it ('depending on where you live ...'). The article is about how the practice is spreading around the world.
- deleted 11y ago[deleted]
- industriousthou 11y agoWhat a strange comment. Rats can climb stuff.
- ceejayoz 11y agoI'd imagine if you live in such a place you'd already be aware of the issue. The article mentions some local variations: > Two South African entrepreneurs, Ernst Hertzog of Action Hero Ventures and marketing executive Frans de Villiers, concluded that a plastic box, that can be used as a bath rather than a bed, was more useful for South African mothers. The box is also a lot more than just a place to sleep for the first few nights.
- susiecambria 11y ago"There are dozens of projects under way in US states, but the biggest will launch later this year in Fort Worth, Texas, when all four of the city's hospitals start handing out baby boxes in an attempt to bring down the high infant mortality rate of 7.1 per 1,000 births in 2013." Would be interesting to know if the local government will be modifying any of its infant programs alongside the hospital program. Thinking specifically of crib giveaways. Back in the day, municipal governments had such programs for low-income families to ensure babies did not have to co-sleep. Similarly, the boxes offer an opportunity to promote municipal/statewide 211 information and referral systems. When done well, 211s are super efficient at information-sharing for people at every socio-economic level.
- ommunist 11y agoLet's think outside of the box. Look at the kangaroo.
- sokoloff 11y ago> But he believes the effect [of giving away the boxes] will be marginal. Alleviating poverty, stopping parents smoking, and improving education and antenatal care - all these things are more fundamental, he argues, in tackling the problem of infant mortality. Yes, let's downplay doing something simple and well within our grasp. Perhaps we should build a giant ocean boiler instead so we can started...
- jhanschoo 11y agoNote that this news article follows very closely to the standard format of introduction-positive quotes-counterpoint quotes. The interviewee may have pointed out downsides as a response to a question the interviewer might have posed, e.g. "do you think there are more fundamental factors to so-and-so problem that the box might also solve". It should not be taken to signal the interviewee's personal support of the product.