NYC is looking for ways to protect newborns.
According to a bill that is being introduced in the City Council, baby boxes could become a requirement in neighborhoods with high infant mortality rates, the New York Daily News reports. A popular resource in Finland, these boxes come stocked with products such as diapers and onesies and often double as a safe space where newborns can sleep.
Not only do they provide the necessary tools new parents need, but they could, quite literally, be a lifesaver. By placing children in a baby box, they will not be exposed to pillows or blankets on a bed or couch that could potentially suffocate them. The infant mortality rate in NYC has declined in recent years, but it is still a serious issue communities face.
There is no word yet on what NYC baby boxes would provide, but it appears that local politicians are in support of this measure. "Across the world, baby boxes have been shown to reduce infant deaths by providing parents with a safe space for the baby to sleep and valuable information on caring for a newborn child," Councilman Mark Levine, the Health Committee chair and a co-sponsor of the bill, said in a statement according to the Daily News.
Have a growing family? Grab the items you'll need at maternity stores during those nine months, peruse the best baby stores and stock up on the best books for kids to read before bedtime.
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