The first paid platonic intimacy service in South Africa has gained popularity among the country’s citizens. According to experts, there are many reasons why the cuddling business is booming, including isolation during the COVID pandemic, which impacted South Africa hardest, and stress from the country’s struggling economy.
The environment in a neonatal intensive care unit can be overwhelming, as staff care for infants who are ill or were born premature. Many exhausted parents and loved ones can’t be with their newborns around the clock, but at one Long Beach, Calif., hospital, trained volunteers are stepping in to help. Known as NICU cuddlers, they give infants the human touch that is so vital to every baby