Morning all - I’m just listening to Woman’s Hour on Radio 4 talking about how prem babies benefit from having an octopus to cuddle while they’re in hospital. Apparently they hang onto the tentacles and cuddle them, and it prevents them from clutching their tubes, etc. Hospitals need hundreds of them every week, and they all have to go through testing to make sure they are safe - but it made me wonder if it might be something one (or some) of you might be able to make for sale? Parents and family like to give them to their babies too, and I would have thought its not just something prem babies would like to cuddle? Little hands around tentacles makes a lot of sense: easier than a teddy etc… so I’d have thought any newborn would like one as well as prem babies?
Sorry if I’m the last to know about this and you all already know! (In which case ignore me and pretend this post never happened… 
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Have a google perhaps and listen to the interview (just this second finished) 
x
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That sounds like a really good idea! My first child was 8 weeks prem and she was forever pulling the feeding tube out of her nose. I hope there are some crocheters out there that can make some because this is a really useful thing.
Sam x
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as it would be a toy we’d have to put it through CE testing. That includes the yarn as to were it’s made, flame testing stress testing, chemical testing as it could end up in babies mouth.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Product liability insurance wouldn’t be rather expensive those who make toys as well.
This is why I don’t make toys to sell.
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It sounded as if the hospital was putting them through the testing phase - anyway, just a thought, might be worth a listen…
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Prem babies have various things in their cots. In fact they are not able to move about very much at all and are constantly watched by the nurses for 24 hours a day, so I think the danger of anything happening is very small. I think the CE testing only applies if you are selling the items anyway. If they are being given away then those laws do not apply and it would be up to the hospital whether or not they thought the toys were a risk.
Sam x
A member of our family is a co-ordinator for a crochet group that makes these for their local maternity unit. They’re based in Chester but I understand there are groups around the country. As co-ordinator she has to check and double check all the octopuses to ensure that they meet the strict requirements before they are given to the hospital. The group meets once a week, so it’s very sociable as well as being a worthwhile cause. I can’t crochet myself (have tried and failed miserably) otherwise I’d get involved too.
I didn’t hear Woman’s hour but will try and catch up with it tomorrow 
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I stumbled across this and it caught my eye. I was premature (11 weeks) in 1995, pretty sure the octopus thing didn’t exist then or my family would have showered me with them - it’s such a good idea though. That said I had about 1,000 other toys which probably did a similar job! Kudos to anyone who makes toys for the SCBU.
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