Some 180,000 new parents should benefit from it by August 2022: the government plans to distribute “baby boxes” through maternity hospitals from February 2022. What is it? Not from a box, but, according to Huffington Post, a shoulder bag that will contain several objects intended to be the supports “Communication of public health messages the first 1000 days “ of the child.
“Each object conveys and symbolizes a message intended to help parents. It will serve as a support for dialogue with families at the maternity ward ”, the cabinet of Secretary of State for Child Protection, Adrien Taquet, told Agence France-Presse (AFP). The system will first be deployed in maternity hospitals in municipalities with priority neighborhoods and in rural revitalization municipalities. It will be evaluated this summer before being undoubtedly extended to the whole of the territory.
Young parents will find a sleeping bag, which will explain how to put the baby to bed to avoid accidents, such as sudden infant death syndrome. The box will also contain an album, to make parents aware of the importance of the artistic and cultural awakening of infants, of interactions with parents, and to encourage them to read to their child without waiting for him to go to school, and soap, to promote natural products and alert to endocrine disruptors and chemicals. As for the moisturizer – the object of reactions on social networks – its purpose is to remind the mother that she must take care of her and not forget yourself, as AFP reported.
The “baby box” is one of the initiatives to make parents aware of the importance of the 1000 days from the start of pregnancy to the child’s 2nd birthday, with an application and an Internet site. The idea is inspired by the Finnish model of “baby box”, created in 1938. The box arrives at all future mothers just before birth, and contains everything necessary for the first days of an infant, before transforming into cradle because provided with a mattress. By improving prevention and hygiene, this measure has significantly lowered the infant mortality rate.
But the box is debating as to the risks of unexpected infant death that it would run. The French government therefore preferred the idea of a bag, “Invitation to go out, not to forget yourself as a parent, to go to sports or outdoor activities”.
Ironic reactions
But the initiative, which also comes at a time when midwives are going on strike and demonstrating for an increase in their salary and better working conditions, has aroused ironic reactions, especially on social networks. “Encouraging mothers to leave their homes, take care of them and not forget themselves will not be solved by a postpartum beauty kit”, in particular written on twitter Illana Weizman, sociologist and author of This is my postpartum, reacting to the idea raised by the government to include a moisturizer for mothers.
The activist, at the origin of the hashtag #MonPostPartum which had, in February 2020, caused a wave of testimonies, calls instead on the government to “Release money for support policies by health professionals trained in post-partum issues”, or to introduce a leave of the same duration for fathers as for mothers after birth.
Adrien Taquet announced at the end of September that a “Systematic maintenance around the fifth week after childbirth” would be introduced in early 2022 to identify postpartum depression, which would affect between 15% and 30% of mothers.
Others point out that, to help mothers, more objects “Useful” that a cream would be welcome. “After my childbirth, personally, I no longer needed disposable mesh panties and quadruple-thickness towels”, writes Laura Boudoux in She, recalling the high cost of these protections.
Before setting up this “baby box”, future parents will receive, from next week, a booklet by post, as soon as the pregnancy is declared, giving them guidelines on sleep, screens, breastfeeding. , diet, postpartum depression and violence prevention.