TINY babies in hospital are being comforted by knitted octopuses which can help them feel safe and comforted.

More than a dozen have been donated to Worcestershire Royal Hospital's neonatal intensive care unit by a woman in Kent.

And now a mum whose premature son has benefitted from one of the quirky little characters is appealing for knitters to help make them for other tiny babies.

Babies like grabbing and clutching the tentacles because they mimic the feeling of the umbilical cord in their mother's womb.

Carla Gregg, from St John's, Worcester, gave birth to baby Tommy Gibbons on January 5 at 26 weeks.

He weighed just 2lb 2oz.

Now weighing 5lb, Tommy is expected to leave hospital in April, close to his original due date.

The 29-year-old said: "He was really bad at ripping his tubes out at first but now, rather than that, he plays with the octopus a lot more.

"It gives him comfort. If the mum keeps it close to her it can smell like her which gives them even more comfort.

"It's going to be a keepsake for him too when he comes home."

Matron Sharon Ali said an article about the octopuses was posted on the NICU's facebook page, set up by Lisa Sheppard, and now most of the babies have them.

"Everyone has gone octopus crazy.

"It has been really positive to see.

"I can knit and the design looks pretty simple. I don't imagine it takes too much time to make one, perhaps a couple of days.

"From now, if we have any, the babies will have them from birth when they are coming into the unit.

"They tentacles imitate the mother's umbilical cord and they are meant to help stabilise their heart rate and comfort them.

"Then when the babies go home the babies will take them with them and the parents have something that baby has been nuzzled next to.

"We have had a few donations and some of the girls have been making them.

"It's nice for them to have something as a keepsake that has helped their babies."

The octopuses must be made from 100 per cent cotton so they can be washed and dried and have passed the hospital's infection control.

Staff nurse Tony Clark, who previously volunteered for premature baby charity Bliss, has seen the benefits of the octopuses.

He said: "You definitely see a difference when you put them in with the premature babies.

"You can see them running their hands through them and gripping onto them and they seem a bit calmer.

"The parents love the idea and they are growing in popularity."

At 33 days old, Nate Lambert has also been enjoying running his fingers through the octopus's tentacles.

His mum Stephanie Ferriday, from Warndon, Worcester, said she it was nice to know that when they weren't here her son, who was born at 30 weeks weighing just 2lb and 6oz, and something to comfort him.

"He was given it about two or three weeks ago and took to it really well.

"He has it in with him quite a lot and we've got lots of pictures of him gripping it.

"When I put him back in his cot after I feed or hold him I often give him the tentacles and he plays around with it.

A knitting and crotchet event will take place on Friday from 4.30pm to 9pm at the Woodpecker Cafe, Evesham Road, Worcester.

It's free to attend and people can have a go at making an octopus. They just need to bring own supplies including 100 per cent cotton yarn.

More information on how to make the octopuses can be found at facebook.com/Operation-Octopus-642693945940411.

Miss Gregg has set up a Go Fund Me to help pay for supplies to make the octopuses (https://www.gofundme.com/tiny-tommys-octopus-campaign) and a Facebook page charting Tommy's journey (facebook.com/tinytommysjourney).