Tashkent, Uzbekistan – Podrobno.uz. On International Public Knitting Day, a charity event called 'Knit a Life' was held in a park. It was organized by the Tashkent club '28 Loops', which has been donating knitted items to perinatal centers across the country for nine years.
The club's name is no coincidence: exactly 28 stitches are needed to knit a tiny sock for a premature baby. Such a sock fits in the palm of an adult's hand.
Knitting in the park during summer seemed unusual to many passersby. As one regular club member, pensioner Olga Ivanovna, explained, there is nothing strange about it: premature babies feel cold even in hot weather because their thermoregulation system is not yet fully developed. However, the benefits of such items are not limited to warmth. Natural wool gently stimulates the skin, activating nerve endings, which promotes motor development and improves blood circulation. Therefore, knitted items are necessary for these children all year round.
A participant said she learned about the club through social media and came because she wanted to do something useful. 'At first, I went to the maternity hospital, to pediatrics. When you see those tiny children, of course you want to help, to warm them,' she said.
During the event, club coordinator Elena Semerdjidi explained basic knitting techniques, corrected stitches, and answered questions. According to her, the club's work has long gone beyond one city: it cooperates with all maternity hospitals in Tashkent (No. 1–9), as well as the Republican and City Perinatal Centers, the Institute of Pediatrics, and other medical institutions throughout Uzbekistan—in Samarkand, Bukhara, Navoi, Fergana, Namangan, and Andijan.
'For nine years, our club has been knitting warm clothes and toys for perinatal centers that care for premature and low-birth-weight babies,' Semerdjidi said.
The event also featured invited expert Sayyora Nurmukhamedova, Deputy Director for Neonatal Services at the city branch of the Republican Specialized Scientific and Practical Medical Center for Maternal and Child Health. She spoke about the risks premature babies face after discharge and why knitted items are not just a gift but an important part of care and support.
Nurmukhamedova explained that premature babies are especially vulnerable to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Their respiratory and immune systems are not yet formed, so the virus, which in full-term babies causes only a common cold, can lead to severe complications and rehospitalization. Moreover, severe RSV infection in infancy increases the risk of developing asthma later in life.
'Our task as doctors is to explain to parents the importance of protection: from basic hygiene during the cold season to timely discussion with a pediatrician about available medical prevention measures,' she said.
Specific prevention for RSV is not yet available in Uzbekistan, Nurmukhamedova noted after the event. Treatment is symptomatic.
In addition to clothing, club volunteers knit octopus toys from cotton, whose tentacles remind the baby of the umbilical cord.
About 70 people knitted in the park. In a few hours, dozens of items were created—socks, hats, sets, and toys. After disinfection, they will all be sent to perinatal centers.
Source: podrobno.uz