Newborns at Advocate wear little red hats to raise awareness

In recognition of American Heart Month and in anticipation for National Wear Red Day, Advocate Lutheran General Hospital and Advocate Children's Hospital will distribute red crocheted hats to all babies born in February to help raise awareness about heart disease, the number one killer of Americans, and congenital heart defects, the most common type of birth defect in the country.

This is the fifth consecutive year that Advocate and the American Heart Association (AHA) have partnered to help make a difference for babies with heart defects. More than 40,000 newborns are affected by heart defects each year, according to the AHA.

"The Little Hats, Big Hearts initiative is a unique way to educate families about congenital heart defects, which affects nearly one percent of newborns and can range from mild to severe. Anything we can do to raise awareness of heart disease, the leading cause of death for both men and women in the U.S., is beneficial for our patients," said Dr. Alan Brown, Director of Cardiology and the Lipid Clinic at Lutheran General Hospital.

The AHA is distributing 6,000 hats in Chicago area for the "Little Hats, Big Hearts" campaign, 2,000 of which will go to newborns across the Advocate Health Care system and nearly a quarter of those will go to babies at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital and Advocate Children's Hospital in Park Ridge, Illinois.

"Our families love the red hats and they are so meaningful," said Paula Glass, Clinical Manager, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Advocate Children's Hospital-Park Ridge. "Whether they have one of the many infants in the NICU struggling with a heart issue or know other family and friends facing heart disease, the hats are a powerful symbol."