Our Special Care Baby Unit colleagues  are urging  knitting fans to cast on and create octopus comforters. The octopuses offer comfort to premature babies as the tentacles are said to mimic the feeling of the umbilical cord in the womb.

Once the babies leave our care the octopuses go with them hence the need for more.

Debbie Martin issued an appeal on Facebook for donations which are used for babies born under 34 weeks. She said: “We had a small supply of octopuses which we have now used up. We would love to offer every baby under 30/32 weeks one but we need a stock of 100ish.

“ That’s a year, then maybe we could give one to every baby under 34 weeks. If you have time to crochet or knit one we would put it to such good use.”

Deputy head of midwifery, Gail Wright, said: “Everyone seems to love the little octopuses campaign. We, along with many trusts in the country,  are using them as comforters for very premature babies both for their time with us and they can take them home too. Hence the need for knitters and we thank them all.”

Donations can be made to Calderdale Royal at an ‘octodrop box’ at the Special Care Baby Unit.

Knitting patterns for the octopuses can be found online, with more information available on Bliss charity’s website http://www.bliss.org.uk/knit-for-premature-babies or  http://www.prawelewe.pl/octopus-for-a-preemie/