Its a peculiar and rather endearing sight. A colorful and eclectic array of hats adorns the heads of every infant admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of a Hospital in Brooklyn New York. Each baby is wearing a unique hand-made woolen hat, to keep him or her wonderfully warm and unquestionably adorable!

There is of course some science to this... Infants’ heads are much larger in proportion to their bodies such that in Neonatology it is recognized that a significant amount of heat is lost from their heads. In premature, low birth weight infants this heat loss is amplified such that a hat can be life-saving right after breathing and circulation. This is a slight exaggeration of course, but hypothermia off-sets the body’s crucial balance and can cause 

an infant to take a turn for the worse.

Perhaps that is why Neonatal ICU nurses Crystal Petersen, Glenda Nanton and Marie Casimir,NNP  began a hugely successful project to design, create and give these gifts to every baby admitted to the Neonatal ICU. The "Hat Project began by these talented ladies who knit the hats in their free time away from the ICU, is enthusiastically supported by NICU staff and greatly appreciated by parents. 

The staff can't help but get involved, donating funds and yarn to keep the production going. The project has been so successful that every baby who leaves the NICU gets to go home with at least one, and this holiday season every baby who is "in-house" for Christmas will get a matching blanket to keep warm. 

When these nurses heard about the on-going project to develop a pediatric/neonatal intensive care unit in Port-au Prince Haiti, they wanted to do their part by donating their time and their unique talent. Many of the nurses were saddened to hear of the scarcity of supplies for the delivery room and the lack of oxygen and respiratory equipment to help the preemies breathe. 

These wonderful nurses who care for the most vulnerable among us shared their gifts to help newborn babies in Haiti. 

Proceeds from the sale of a hat for your loved one will be used to purchase supplies for the Pediatric/Neonatal ICU in Port-au-Prince. Hats may also be purchased and donated to warm an infant born on site in Diquini, Haiti. 

                 HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

SHOP "HATS FOR HAITI"