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| (Above: from CNN a picture of a preemie and her octopus) |
Recently, after a father requested a crocheted octopus for his newborn daughter, studies have sprung up on how this small toy could lead to another coping technique for premature babies. Around 15 million babies are born too early per year-that is equivalent to a little more than 1 in every 10 births. These babies are born with a
much higher risk of severe health issues that can lead to death. Premature babies(preemies) often feel uncomfortable inside the neonatal intensive care unit(NICU) because it is an abrupt change from the comfort of their mother's womb. This irritation can cause a reaction that oftentimes results in complications with feeding tubes, heart monitoring, breathing tubes, etc. Researchers have been trying to find ways to help these tiny humans for years and have come up with a substantial amount of coping mechanisms. Most people wouldn't expect that newborn babies would need therapy, but many do. The best way to help preemies is to try to replicate the atmosphere of a womb. Babies move around quite frequently throughout a woman's pregnancy; the constant movement causes the child to interact with the placenta that surrounds them and they become quite familiar with their umbilical cord. Naturally, this causes the baby to be disoriented when born. Many hospitals around the world are trying out the idea of crocheted octopuses*. The idea is to have a comforting toy that can stay with them throughout their early years and the tentacles are supposed to more or less replicate the umbilical cord. As this has not been fully studied yet, some hospitals are weary to try this method of therapy, though there seems to be a positive outlook for these cute little toys.
My little sister was born a preemie so this was very fascinating to me. I remember my parents were very scared that she might not make it, but thankfully Olivia is here and I'm proud to be this little weirdo's big sister. I think this is a simple way to solve such a life threatening problem, and it's adorable too!
*It isn't octopi, read
The Soul of an Octopus and you will know, my dear friends.
http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/27/health/premature-babies-crochet-octopus-nicu/index.html
For more information about premature babies, click on the link below:
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs363/en/
I like the idea of this. It definitely lightens up the subject.
ReplyDeleteWith everyone thinking up complicated solutions, sometimes the one we need the most is a simple one.
ReplyDeleteWho knew a little project done for fun could turn into a life saver. It's great that people do take a simpler approach at things like this because everyone deserves to live at least part of their life.
ReplyDeleteThis is a clever idea to have a crocheted octopus to act like the environment the baby was just in. This idea seems so simple and it's great how it can save lives of many.
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