http://mynomadhome.com/octopus-for-a-preemie-osmiorniczka-dla-wczesniaka/ Please take a look at the above link for more information.

While they may seem like an unlikely bedfellow for the babies on the neonatal unit these octopi are linked to better health and wellbeing. It is thought the tentacles remind babies of the umbilical cord, and being in their mother’s womb, making them feel safer.
Now the hospital is looking to catch more crochet octopi; enough for every baby on the unit to have one to snuggle and take home when they’re better. Each octopus will be packed into a special gift bag complete with a card about the project and offered to parents. They can be any colour and vary in size from small (for equally small babies) to large.