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% As believers in the power of human touch, NIVEA wanted to bring the benefits of skin-to-skin contact to babies who are separated from their parents and placed in incubators and would otherwise be deprived of this vital sensorial experience.

During the development of our LOVING TOUCH prototype, we worked closely with a premature baby specialist and a design team in Germany to replicate the feeling of skin-to-skin and being embraced by a parent as closely as possible.

We created two initial LOVING TOUCH prototypes. They are intended to replicate a parent's vital skin-to-skin contact for preterm babies isolated in hospital incubators.

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.

The LOVING TOUCH requires minimum instruction to use by nurses, who only need to watch a short instructional video.

With the friendly co-operation of Hospital Sao Paulo's premature baby ward, we trialled the LOVING TOUCH KIT prototype in their incubators from 30 Nov - 6 Dec 2021. NIVEA are evaluating learnings from the trial and feedback from the parents and are currently assessing the feasibility of further product development and production at scale, with the aim to provide 500+ free LOVING TOUCH KITS to hospitals all over the world. By 2025, NIVEA aims to invest 20 million Euro into global skin-to-skin initiatives and promote the health and well-being of 150 000 people, including premature babies.