A better start

Available for over a year

For every 10 babies born across the world one will be preterm, and the fate of these tiny babies is often very uncertain. They are kept alive by science, care, and luck. Time in a neonatal unit can be a stressful and unpredictable time. We meet the people who are creating equipment and aids to create a kinder experience for both parents and babies alike to give them a better start in life. People like the founder of the Danish Octo Project, which kickstarted a movement across the world crocheting tiny Octopus toys to emulate the umbilical cord for premature babies, the engineer who kept her baby alive when the neonatal unit housing her son lost power in a devastating storm, leading to a remarkable invention. Finally, the foundation bringing purple butterflies to NICUs across the UK to help identify surviving children of multiple births. Journalist Becky Green, whose twin boys were born eight weeks early, explores the love and care she received with her babies in two neonatal units. Bobby and Jesse were both devastatingly poorly, and only Bobby came home. Producer:: Ailsa Rochester Executive producer: Jo Meek Sound: Rob Green An Audio Always production for BBC World Service