Mining magnate Andrew Forrest's "baby box" idea should replace the "perverse incentive" that is the baby bonus, a child health expert in the NT says.

Professor Sven Silburn, the director at Menzies Centre for Child Development and Education, said Mr Forrest's idea - a kit containing clothes, nappies, bath products and other supplies - would be a practical solution to the problem of Indigenous women not accessing antenatal clinics in the early stages of their pregnancy.

"I think it's a terrific idea and particularly if it could replace the baby bonus, which at the moment provides a perverse incentive that isn't actually producing the outcomes that could be there and could be offered by what the baby box project offers," Professor Silburn said.

Similar boxes are offered to women by Aboriginal health services in Cape York and Alice Springs, and for a long time have been available in Scandinavia.

In Finland, the baby boxes have been offered to women since the 1930s, when they were introduced to combat high rates of infant mortality.

The Finnish maternity box, which includes clothes and other items, is provided free of charge to all babies born in Finland. ( Roxeteer/Flickr )

Mr Forrest's Creating Parity report - commissioned by the Abbott Government and released a week ago - recommended the boxes be offered as an incentive to encourage women on income support to access antenatal services.

"A local community nurse or health organisation can then monitor and support the pregnancy," the report suggested.

Professor Silburn said he was in favour of the introduction of the boxes.

"It's the kind of practical intervention that makes good sense and it actually delivers what Indigenous young women particularly need," he said.

Professor Sven Silburn, head of the Centre for Child Development and Education ( Menzies School of Health Research )

The Forrest review used the Finnish program as a case study and said mothers would be offered a choice of a payment or the box - with the majority choosing the box.

Professor Silburn said the incentive could go a step further and replace the Federal Government's baby bonus payment, which became subject to a means test in March, restricting payments to only those mothers whose household income is under $75,000 dollars a year.

He said the baby bonus did not always go towards expectant mothers and their babies.

"The Northern Territory has a network of Aboriginal medical services. It's the kind of practical intervention that makes good sense and it actually delivers what Indigenous young women need," he said.

The Apunipima Cape York Health Council had been distributing similar so-called baby baskets, which included food vouchers to mothers since 2009.

The baskets were being delivered in the first trimester, immediately prior to and after birth.

An evaluation of the program by the Lowitja Institute this year said it was likely the program had contributed to improvements to attendance at antenatal and postnatal clinics.

The Forrest review also provided recommendations on Indigenous training and employment, but went much further to include early childhood and welfare.

Professor Silburn also said negative reaction to ideas like the so-called healthy welfare card had overshadowed promising health initiatives.

Federal Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion would not be drawn on whether the baby box would be a better alternative than the baby bonus.

But he said the Government was looking at all aspects of Mr Forrest's report, except for how many people he suggested be put on the healthy welfare card.

"The only thing in the Forrest report that I think we've been a bit nervous about was the figure 2.6 million," he said.

"It's a fantastic report. It sets out a very tough but reasonable framework for the future.

"There's a lot to take into consideration but I don't think there's any element we're not taking into consideration."