“Little Hats, Big Hearts honors babies, moms, and heart-healthy lives in a very special way,” said Tim Smallwood, Go Red for Women director for the Miami Valley division of the American Heart Association. “Supporters are knitting and crocheting red hats to be given out to babies during American Heart Month to empower moms to live heart-healthy lives and to help their children do the same. Together, we are working to raise awareness of congenital heart defects, provide resources and inspire moms to take their family’s health to heart.”
RELATED: How to think ‘heart healthy’ this month
“We’re honored to do our part here at Premier Health to call attention to a medical condition that affects a significant number of infants in our community, ” said L. William “Bill” Rettig, MD, chair of the Women’s Health Institute at Premier Health. “Thankfully, many of these defects can be easily fixed. Still, some children born with complex defects need special medical care immediately. The good news is that, thanks to modern medicine, children with complex defects typically not only survive into adulthood, but lead normal lives.”
MORE: YMCA hosting family day and health fair
Premier Health said its hospitals deliver more than 7,000 babies each year.
Premier Health operates four hospitals in the region: Miami Valley Hospital with an additional site at Miami Valley Hospital South; Good Samaritan Hospital; Atrium Medical Center; and Upper Valley Medical Center.
— — —
BY THE NUMBERS
25,000: Number of babies affected each year by congenital heart defects This translates to more than one such defect for every 150 births
500,000: Number of children who have some form of cardiac problem
1 million: Number of people who live with congenital heart defects