To create awareness about heart disease – particularly in women – Erlanger partnered with members of St. Elmo Presbyterian Church and Genuine Purl yarn shop to knit tiny red caps for neonatal intensive care babies at Erlanger East Hospital and Children’s Hospital at Erlanger to wear on Valentine’s Day.
Knitters from as far away as Huntsville drove to Chattanooga to deliver red caps and participate in the educational program for new moms.
Red caps were placed on all newborns and NICU babies on Valentine’s Day and a card was presented to mothers bearing this message:
“Dear Mommy: I’m wearing this cute little red hat to remind you to love your heart like you love me. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women. So please take care of your heart because I’m going to need you a long time.”
“Heart disease in women is more common than most people think,” says Kelly Wingerter, University of Tennessee College of Medicine Chattanooga cardiovascular disease chief fellow.
“It’s the leading cause of death in women in the United States and around the world,” she adds. “It’s important to try to prevent it.
“We recommend having regular follow-ups with doctors to check blood pressure, weight and cholesterol levels; exercising for 30 minutes most days of the week; and eating a diet with minimal salt and fat and more vegetables.”
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Source: Erlanger’s Heart and Lung Institute