The Little Hats Big Hearts campaign works to raise awareness about congenital heart defects in newborns while donating hand knit red hats.
February is American Heart month and each year to raise awareness, the Heart Association delivers thousands of hats to babies in hospitals around the country.
Friday they stopped by the University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center in Glen Burnie to drop off hats to the newborns.
"This is our third year participating in the program here in Maryland and we couldn’t be more excited to deliver hats to the newborns who are born during the month of February not only at the University of Maryland Greater Baltimore Washington Medical center but to 14 hospitals across the state," said Tracy Brazelton the executive director of the American Heart Association of the Mid-Atlantic region.
About 40,000 newborn babies are born each year with a heart defect.
Doctor Alicia Chaves says many babies in the past would die from congenital heart defects.
"Fortunately, due to a lot of advances in research and surgical techniques, we're able to save a great majority of these babies and now they are many people living well into adulthood who have congenital heart disease."
Doctors say early detection is key. That was they can work through the pregnancy and a birth plan to make sure the right specialists are on hand.
