Clinging onto a piece of comfort
RANDBURG – New technique discovered to help premature babies
Crocheted octopus ‘teddies’ have been known to calm premature babies dramatically.
Audrey du Toit is the secretary of Helpende Hand and also belongs to the Randburg branch of the Vroue Landbou-Unie which has started a crochet and knitting group.
Du Toit has recently come up with the idea of crocheted octopus ‘teddies’. Her niece inspired the idea when her baby boy was born two months premature. A crocheted ‘teddy’ was made for him and the results were incredible. He was unbelievably calm just by clinging onto the octopus’ tentacle.
Du Toit said, “Instead of just helping people and providing them with food and clothing, we also want to reach out to frail newborn babies. It’s about reaching out to everyone and not just a particular group of people.”
She speculates that the tentacles of the toy octopus replicate the placenta that gives the baby the illusion of still being in the mother’s womb, which results in regulated breathing. It also helps the babies not out their oxygen pipes because they have other things to hold on to.
Du Toit added, “The hospitals asked us to first sterilise the octopus teddies.”
Her team of five people are going to visit hospitals in the Randburg area to donate the crocheted creations.
