Patterned 'Baby box' containing certified newborn mattress, waterproof mattress cover, 100% cotton sheet, one packet of 72 Baby Dream with aloe vera wipes made by John Dale Limited, Flintshire, United Kingdom, 2016-2017 with a cardboard label giving advice about talking about different textures of materials attached with blue elastic; Baby Box University leaflet advertising safe sleep, 2016-2017, 100g Johnson’s honey baby soap by Johnson’s and Johnson’s GmbH, made in Europe, 2015-2017 with a cardboard label giving advice about washing infants attached with blue elastic, set of blue nipple pads, maker unknown, 2016-2017, one pair of packaged white gloves, made by Baby Box Co, 2016-2017, one pair of packaged white socks, made by Baby Box Co, 2016-2017, one packaged white hat, made by Baby Box Co, 2016-2017, one packet of 22 Pampers nappies for new-borns, made by Proctor & Gamble, United Kingdom, 2017, pne blue zipped bag with ‘Baby Box University’, maker unknown, 2016-2017, one red bib with Velcro fastening, no maker marked and one white baby grow for ages 0-6 months with metal fastenings and a tree design, designed in the United States, made in China for Baby Box Co with a cardboard label giving advice about changing infants’ clothes attached with blue elastic, 2016-2017

developed by The Baby Box Co and given to new parents at Queen Charlotte and Chelsea Hospitals during June 2016

Founded by childhood friends, Michelle Vick and Jennifer Clary, the Baby Box Company was started to provide newborns with essential items for the first year of their life and support for new parents. The Baby Box was trialled at the Queen Charlotte and Chelsea Hospitals in London during June 2016, led by obstetrician Dr Karen Joash. The babies were monitored by the Trust until they were eight months old and their parents asked to fill in a questionnaire about their use of the box. The idea was to provide a comfortable and safe sleeping place for a newborn and to ensure a level playing field for all at the start of life, regardless of their families’ living and economic status. There is evidence that co-sleeping is associated with a greater incidence of accident or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) where certain risk factors are present. Advice on safe sleeping and co-sleeping is available from a range of charities and the NHS.

The baby box tradition introduced in Finland in the 1930s is thought to have contributed to reducing the infant mortality rate in the country. Further research has found that, in fact, a wide number of factors contributed to falling numbers including the introduction of prenatal care, improved nutrition and hygiene and the use of vaccination and antibiotics. Rates of SIDS are equally low in other Scandinavian countries that do not provide baby boxes.

Baby boxes are provided across some NHS Trusts and every baby born in Scotland since August 2017 has received one.