Crocheted Octopi Offer Benefits for NICU Babies

CLEVELAND - November is Prematurity Awareness Month. 

Many babies who are born premature often have to stay in the NICU until they are healthy enough to go home. 

And for those being cared for at Cleveland Clinic Children’s, they now have a crocheted octopus to keep them company. 

“This is an idea that actually came to be in 2013 in Demark. So, it was spearheaded by volunteers who thought that the tentacles of the octopi would resemble the umbilical cord for babies in the womb and help bring comfort to them,” said Jaclyn Thaxton, RN, a registered nurse at Cleveland Clinic Children’s.

Thaxton, who works in the NICU, said before they got involved with the octopi project, they first did some research to ensure the crocheted creatures were safe. 

They found that not only are they safe, but their tentacles can offer many benefits, like keeping a baby’s vitals stable during a painful procedure. 

Thaxton said the octopi are crocheted by volunteers, who must follow strict rules. 

Each one has to be made from 100% cotton, cannot include any accessories, and must be washed on high heat. 

Once the octopus is complete, it’s given a name, often by the patient’s family. 

“At each bedside, we have a naming card, and a lot of times our siblings aren’t able to be super involved with the care of their new sibling, so we encourage families to let them name the octopi. If there aren’t siblings, it’s also something fun for the respiratory therapist, nurses, and the staff to get together to name the baby’s octopus,” said Thaxton.

To date, volunteers have helped make more than 500 octopi for the NICU.