Charity support | drmaggieju

We support Octopus for a Preemie.

Octopus for a Preemie is a charity whose crocheted octuposes help premature babies through first days of their life.

This charity project first started in Denmark and then extended to Spain, Ukraine and continued in Poland, UK and more recently Austria.

If you would like to make donation, here is the website

Why is octopus as a comforter for premature babies?

The spiraled tentacles are reminiscent of mum's umbilical cord in the womb and the soft knit bodies of the cuddly creatures are to remind them of the familiar environment of being in their mother's womb. This give them a feeling of warmth and safety.

Research shows that snuggling octopuses might make preemies feel safer and feel better. Preemies who cuddled up with these cute octopuses in their incubators had more regular heartbeats, better breathing, and higher levels of oxygen in their blood. Not only that, but these babies were also less likely to pull out their monitors and tubes.