Alabama Takes A Cue From Finland To Lower Infant Mortality

The state of Alabama is trying to fix its infant mortality rate—one cardboard box at a time. The state is giving away sixty thousand so called baby boxes to expectant parents. Each box is filled with supplies like diapers and baby wipes. The empty box is also designed to be a baby bed. There’s also on-line information available to help parents take better care of a newborn. Alabama currently has just over eight infant deaths per one thousand births, which higher than the national average. The death rate for African American babies in Alabama is almost fourteen per thousand births. The baby box program is credited with helping the nation of Finland lower its infant mortality rate.