A Norwegian called Leonhard Seppala,of Finnish / Kven parentage, was born in the sauna, in Skibotn Troms county, September 14, 1877.

Seppala, became a celebrated American hero, for his courageous role in the ‘1925 Serum Mercy Run to Nome’.

For centuries the inherent culture of the sauna is acknowledge as fundamental to the way of life for the Finnish and Native Kven people in Northern Norway. Finnish and the Native Kven have a sauna tradition, going back a thousand years. It is even claimed they would build a sauna before they constructed a dwelling to live in.

The phenomenon of baby’s being born in the sauna, occurred in many of regions of Finland and Northern Norway. In the old days, child birth was a precarious affair, with high infant fatality rates. The sauna was not only used for personal hygiene, it functioned as a place to socialise, cook, store things, escape the harsh chill of an Artic winter, and most importantly a place to give birth (with the sauna set at a comfortable temperature). In fact, before the birth of modern medical practice, and the introduction of trained mid-wives, 95% of all childbirths in Finland and Northern Norway took place in the home. Many hundreds of babies were known to be born in the sauna even through to the late1950s. It was a safe, warm, sterile, hygienic environment with plenty of water close at hand. Even today many families claim to not only have ancestors who were born in the sauna, but also know of parents, siblings, even children who were sauna born. A newborn often had their first bathe there as well. The sauna was not only important at the beginning of life, it was often the final place where the bodies of the deceased were washed before journeying into the afterlife.

The tradition of sauna borns babies is not restricted to the Nordic region. Many Finnish and Norwegian families who migrated to America and Canada, took their sauna tradition with them, re-establishing the culture within their new communities. Many of these families have reminiscences of grandparents, parents, siblings and children, who they know were born-in-the-sauna. We are intrigued to discover if this sauna-born phenomenon occurred in other nations, those with a long sauna tradition, such as Japan, South Korea, Iceland, Germany, and other countries.

The ISA wish to learn more about the use of the sauna as a safe place for child birth in bye-gone days. There are no official statistics on how many babies were born this way. We are eager to hear your personal stories of family members who were sauna born, where and when this occurred, in what circumstances and with what outcomes. Leonhard Seppala with his lead Husky Togo

To participate post your story of family members you know to have been sauna born, in the contact form found via this link: Johan Adrian Jacobsen Society “Born in the Sauna”.

Look out for further information about the project and Leonhard Seppala’s role in the ‘1925 Serum Mercy Run to Nome’.

Thank you for your participation.

Risto Elomaa. President. International Sauna Association.