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Why Finnish babies sleep in cardboard boxes (2013)

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11–20 of 171 posts

Re: Why Finnish babies sleep in cardboard boxes (2013)

#11
post #4

Doesn't CO2 accumulate in the box since there are no holes on the sides?

Disclaimer: this is just my general impression after googling around for how much CO2 buildup/concentration might be a factor/cause of SIDS after becoming a parent. It's by no means any kind of reputable research, just the googling of a dad.

The relative differences in weight/density between CO2, nitrogen, and oxygen just aren't big enough to matter much compared to the other forces that mix room air: convection, currents from forced air HVAC, air leakage, etc.

Air is already 80% nitrogen, and when we exhale we only drop the % of oxygen from 20% to 16%. And consider the fairly small lung volume of the kind of infant who would be sleeping in the box.

I'm sure you could get CO2 buildup in the box in very controlled lab settings, but in general practice as a crib it doesn't seem to be an issue.

And in case you were wondering about the general case: is CO2 buildup an issue for infants? The answer seems to just be: no, and it doesn't even depend much on how much you run your HVAC or if you have a fan or how hole-y your crib is, etc. Room air just mixes enough normally that it's not that big of a deal.

Re: Why Finnish babies sleep in cardboard boxes (2013)

#14
post #4

Doesn't CO2 accumulate in the box since there are no holes on the sides?

Gases really like to mix, much more so than liquids. The box contains a baby that causes air movement (breathing and moving), I would be surprised if the box contains substantially different air than the immediate surroundings.

Re: Why Finnish babies sleep in cardboard boxes (2013)

#16
post #3

I think even considering using a box instead of a crib in the states may get you a visit from child protective services, or at least looks of disgust from your family or in-laws. Does anyone have experience trying this out?

> Does anyone have experience trying this out? Everybody in finland?

Oh I meant suggesting it in the United States. I feel like it would not go over well, unless of course you or your SO are from Finland!

Re: Why Finnish babies sleep in cardboard boxes (2013)

#17
post #8

From the list of the box contents: > Condoms Given you've received the box, isn't it a bit too late for that?

Women can be very fertile right after birth, although most don’t get their periods for months while breastfeeding.

We got like 100 condoms after birth, which would mean years of sex given the stress and discomfort after birth.

Re: Why Finnish babies sleep in cardboard boxes (2013)

#19

A cushioned cardboard box is enough for a newborn. Its weakness could be moisture and high flammability. But aside from that it is perfect.

I mean, they've been doing this for decades. Don't you think their dataset is probably more informed than your speculation?
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