A NURSE at Warrington Hospital has introduced knitted octopuses onto the neo-natal unit to help calm premature babies.
Erica Wiles, 36, first saw the tiny toys on social media and thought they would be perfect for the unit.
Despite many knitted items being donated to the hospital, the majority cannot be used for premature babies as they do no pass infection control requirements.
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However these new octopuses, which started as a research project in Denmark, are specially knitted to meet strict hygienic criteria.
The project found that babies were comforted by the feeling of the umbilical cord and when they were born, the tentacles of the octopus created the same sensation.
It has since launched UK-wide and are the cuddle creatures are handmade by volunteers so they are free for hospitals.
The toys are either crocheted or knitted but have to be created with specific yarn.
Staff nurse Erica Wiles with baby Willow Finn, who was born at 24 weeks
Erica said: “The octopus idea had to be ran past all of our management and infection control.
“There wasn’t anybody initially who made them in Warrington so we used to send for ours from London.
“Now, there is a north west coordinator who finds knitters in the area to create them.
“They go down so well; parents and babies love them and they get to take them home once they are discharged.
“It calms the babies down and also stops the babies pulling at their wires and tubes.”
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It has been almost a year since Erica introduced the octopuses onto the ward.
She added: “We soon realised that it isn’t just the premature babies that love them, all newborns seem to be comforted by them too.
"One term baby who was particularly unsettled was given an octopus – she put her arm around it and fell asleep straight away."
If you would like to help knit a toy octopus for the neonatal ward, you can download the instructions here.
And then join the Facebook group Octopus for a Preemie UK by clicking here.
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