Kohl’s support of WVU Children’s breaks $1M mark

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Thanks to the generosity of Kohl’s employees and shoppers, the staff and patients of WVU Children’s Hospital at Ruby Memorial have more than one million reasons to smile.

For 14 years, Kohl’s has made annual donations to the Kohl’s Healthy Babies Program at WVU Children’s. With this year’s donation of more than $150,000, Kohl’s support of WVU Children’s Hospital has surpassed the $1 million mark.

“We are so grateful for the long-standing partnership we have created with Kohl’s, and we are very appreciative of the efforts of Kohl’s employees and shoppers, who continue to provide such generous support of our Healthy Babies Program,” Cheryl Jones, R.N., director of WVU Children’s Hospital, said. “Without them, this very vital program would not exist, and we cannot thank them enough for all they do for us.”

The Kohl’s Healthy Babies program at WVU Children’s Hospital is an innovative program that provides year-round community education and outreach focused on infant illness and injury prevention. Orchestrated by Christine Haufe, R.N., community health nurse clinician at WVU Children’s Hospital, families are provided education through follow-up phone calls after the birth of a baby, community-sponsored events, group classes, one-on-one education, and/or use of the program website.

“Through this program, we educate parents and families on child development, nutrition, injury prevention, shaken baby syndrome, sudden infant death syndrome, car seat safety, and immunizations,” Haufe said. “The overall focus always revolves around keeping infants safe and healthy and improving the state’s statistics regarding infant health and safety.”

Car seat safety and shaken baby syndrome are two key areas of emphasis for Haufe, who is a certified child passenger safety technician. She performs car seat education and checks in the local community and throughout the state. If you are interested in scheduling a car seat inspection, contact Haufe at 304-598-6011 or visit http://healthybabieswv.com/car_seat_safety.php.

Currently, she is helping to raise awareness for the Period of PURPLE Crying, a normal period of increased crying in the first few months of life that all babies experience. It is during this period that frustration with crying triggers a person to shake or harm a baby.

The letters in PURPLE stand for:

• Peak of crying – Babies may cry more each week: the most at two months and then less at three to five months.
• Unexpected – Crying can come and go, and parents may not know why.
• Resists soothing – Babies may not stop crying no matter what parents do.
• Pain-like face – Crying babies may look like they’re in pain, even when they are not.
• Long lasting – Crying can last as long as five hours a day or longer.
• Evening – Babies may cry more in the late afternoon or evening.

“This increased crying typically begins at about two weeks of age, peaks in the second month of life, and becomes less in the third or fourth month,” Haufe said. “Some infants cry more than others, while the increased crying in others may go unnoticed. The important thing for parents to remember is that all infants do cry more during this period.”
            
Handmade purple colored baby caps are being collected and distributed by participating hospitals, including WVU Children’s, as well as public health offices and home visiting programs that are educating families about the Period of Purple Crying. New parents will receive the purple cap as a gift from the community to remind them that their baby will go through this period of normal increased crying. To donate caps for this campaign, contact Haufe at 304-598-6011 or haufec@wvuhealthcare.com.

Information about the Period of Purple Crying can be found on the WVU Children’s Healthy Babies Program website at http://www.healthybabieswv.com/crying_and_your_baby.php.

About Kohl’s
Kohl’s (NYSE: KSS) is a leading specialty department store with 1,160 stores in 49 states. With a commitment to inspiring and empowering families to lead fulfilled lives, the company offers amazing national and exclusive brands, incredible savings and inspiring shopping experiences in-store, online at Kohls.com, and via mobile devices. Committed to our communities, Kohl’s has raised more than $257 million for children’s initiatives nationwide through its Kohl’s Cares® cause merchandise program, which operates under Kohl’s Cares, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kohl’s Department Stores, Inc. For additional information about Kohl’s philanthropic and environmental initiatives, visit www.Kohls.com/Cares. For a list of store locations and information, or for the added convenience of shopping online, visit www.Kohls.com. Connect with Kohl’s: Facebook (www.facebook.com/Kohls) Twitter (http://twitter.com/Kohls) Google+ (http://plus.google.com/+Kohls) Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/Kohls) Instagram (http://instagram.com/Kohls)

About WVU Children’s Hospital
WVU Children’s Hospital – located on the sixth floor of Ruby Memorial, WVU Healthcare’s flagship hospital – provides maternal, infant and pediatric care for West Virginia and the surrounding region, giving care to high-risk mothers, premature infants and children with life-threatening conditions through adolescence to adulthood. For information on WVU Children’s Hospital, see www.wvukids.com.