Thousands of newborns come home from U.S. hospitals with cardboard boxes that can be used as cribs.
But a prominent doctors' group is questioning the practice. The American Academy of Pediatrics says it isn't clear if baby boxes help prevent sleep-related deaths in infants.
And it isn't known how the boxes hold up to heat or moisture, or how their slatless design affects sleeping babies.
The Los Angeles-based Baby Box Company is working with health organizations around the country to distribute the boxes for free to new parents. It says the boxes are safe, low-cost, and accompany educational materials about sudden infant death syndrome.