Kela unveils 43-item baby box for 2022

The national social insurance institution- Kela on Thursday released its maternity box for 2022 containing 43 items, that is seven items fewer than the box released for 2021, said Kela in a press release.

The baby box released in 2021 contained 50 items while the box released in 2020 contained 56 items and the baby box for 2019 had 63 items.

This Kela released the next year´s box earlier following increasing number of birth rate this year.

Although the new maternity package is normally distributed from the spring every year, this time Kela will start to send it to the expectant mothers from the beginning of 2022.

Kela updates its maternity package every year with new themes and bringing few changes to the contents.

The authority emphasised to the quality and responsible choices of materials over of the costs, said Johanna Aholainen, Benefits Manager of Kela in the press release.

“The products produced from cotton, most are made of organic cotton. Some products are partially made from recycled material. Of course, all products must meet the safety requirements as per the Finnish and EU law,” Aholainen said.

Kela held a public survey for the second consecutive year to determine the pattern of the package's useful snowsuit.

The survey on the maternity package carried out for the first time in 2020 showed that customers are prepared to compromise on the number of products, if this helps to improve the sustainability of the package.

More than 8,000 people participated in the survey and most of them selected a dark blue Moomin pattern for the snowsuit and a black and white ringed seal for the sleeping bag.

Japanese designer Aya Iwaya designed the box, which was one of the winners in the design competition in 2017 organised by Kela.

A book named Ilo pisaroi! Containing rhymes as well as instructions in Finnish and Swedish for giving babies massages was also included in the maternity package.

The Finnish maternity box will turn 85 in 2022 and about two-thirds of families choose the package instead of a financial grant with almost all first-time mothers opting for the box, the press release added.