DC 'Baby Box' Proposal Aimed At Curbing Infant Mortality
WASHINGTON (AP) — In an effort to reduce Washington, D.C.'s, infant mortality rate, local legislation has been proposed to make sure every new parent in the city has access to a free "baby box."
Local news outlets report city council member Brianne Nadeau, herself an expectant mother, introduced a bill this month that would provide all new parents with online training about safe sleep and a baby box to take home.
Baby boxes contain a firm, foam mattress that can double as a bassinet during the baby's first few months — a safer alternative to co-sleeping.
Washington's infant mortality rate in 2014 was 7.6 deaths per 1,000 live births, 27 percent higher than the national rate. According to Washington's Chief Medical Examiner's office, 48 infants died between 2014 and 2016 from unsafe sleeping practices.
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