15 million babies are born preterm every year. After birth, they are immediately separated from their parents and placed in incubators to aid their recovery. Studies have shown that skin-to-skin touch with their parents is vital for newborns as it increases their chances of survival by 36%.

As skincare experts, NIVEA believes in the power of human touch.

With its global #CareForHumanTouch initiative, NIVEA supports skin-touch projects to promote the quality of life for people at risk of loneliness like babies born preterm, visually impaired individuals and elderly with dementia. NIVEA also aims to make 100 million people aware of the proven health benefits of skin-touch by 2025. Our brief was focused on their preterm baby initiative, to make a tangible difference for preemies while also highlighting the power of human touch to consumers. The LOVING TOUCH is currently in the prototype stage and was trialled at Hospital Sao Paulo.

Skin-to-skin contact is vital for newborns and is recommended by hospitals around the world. It reduces stress, regulates heartbeat and aids brain development. Studies have shown it can even increase the survival chances of pre-term babies by 36%.

Working with premature baby specialists and a product design team in Germany, we created two initial LOVING TOUCH prototypes and trialed them at Hospital Sao Paulo's premature baby ward from 30 Nov to 6 Dec 2021. Made from re-usable and easily sanitised silicon, The LOVING TOUCH kit’s shell can be adjusted to accommodate babies of different sizes. It is designed to make preterm babies feel embraced as if by human hands and held in a position recommended by our premature baby specialists. The laser embossed fabric of the cushion mimics the texture of human skin. The removable cushion is filled with organic, heat-retaining seeds and can be easily and quickly microwaved by hospital staff to warm it to human body temperature. Once potential improvements and feasibility of producing more units at scale is assessed, NIVEA intends to produce 500+ units to be given to hospitals globally, pro bono.

The LOVING TOUCH kit was well received by both nurses and parents alike at Hospital Sao Paulo.

NIVEA currently looking at results and considering improvements to assess feasibility of producing improved units at scale of 500+ units for distribution to hospitals globally, pro bono. The LOVING TOUCH kit is also being patented.