Baby Boxes to Help Prevent sudden unexpected infant death (SUID), Overall Reduce Infant Mortality Ra

Photo Credit: Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,USA

In May of 2016 Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia commenced an initiative of distributing baby boxes to help reduce infant mortality rates. Philadelphia has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the United States, with 10.5 deaths for every 1000 live births, in a country with a national average of 5.2 for every 1000 live births. These baby boxes contain clothing, diapers and educational materials packed in a box with a fitted mattress. Babies world over can be victims of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, SID, which is a leading cause of Sudden Unexpected Infant Death, SUID. SUID is one of the leading causes of high infant mortality rates especially in Africa.

The African continent has countries with one of the highest infant mortality rates, with Mali topping its charts with a rate of 102 deaths for every 1000 live births and Nigeria with 72.8 for every 1000 live births (2015 World Health Organization estimate). These high rates are caused by sleep-related unintentional injuries among other important factors like poor health services, mother’s level of education, political factors and environmental conditions among others. Tackling many of these factors might be totally out of the control of the parent of the child but when it comes to sleep-related unintentional injuries, suffocation and chest compressions which come as a result from sharing the same bed as the parents, it can be totally avoidable. Baby boxes are one of the solutions.

The content of the Baby boxes are essential to every new born baby. The box provides a personal space for the baby till 6 months of age. This will avoid all complications that can arise as a consequence of sleeping on the same bed as their adult parents. This makes the boxes expensive and might be costly for all parents to afford. Temple University Hospital distributes the boxes through the aid of a private grant, which takes care of half of the expenses while the rest is taken care by the Hospital. If we are to translate this in Africa it will be a lot more complicated. Hospitals are currently underfunded and not in the best of administrative conditions. Health worker strikes are rampant and some health workers engage themselves in unethical practices. Most institutions rely more on international organizations for grants or funding, the willingness of wealthy Africans to be philanthropic and set up foundations or Non-Governmental Organizations is at an early stage. The widespread corruption in the continent makes it difficult for government to have baby boxes as a policy and see it implemented to fruition. If resources meant for Internally Displaced Persons, IDP, Camps are diverted, what more of voiceless babies.

SUID can be prevented and infant mortality rates improved upon, but the general human conditions have to improve for them to improve as well. Poverty causing illiteracy is the reason why parents will fail to immunize their babies and sleep with them on the same bed. Till entire living standards improve SUID will not be avoided.

References:

http://www.wcvb.com/news/hospital-distributes-baby-boxes-to-help-reduce-infant-mortality-rates/39440282

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2016/05/11/philadelphia-hospital-giving-out-baby-boxes-to-promote-safe-newborn-sleep.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infant_mortality

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_infant_mortality_rate

http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/cfh/program/infantmortality/suids.cfm

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Ernie J. Burgher is a bi-lingual freelance journalist and author, and speaks English and French. Ernie writes for SitiTalkBlog.

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