Children's Minnesota partners with Henna & Hijabs to advance inclusive care with launch of modest hospital gowns for pediatric patients

Gowns ensure comfort, equity and inclusion for all kids during hospital stay

MINNEAPOLIS, March 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- To ensure inclusive and culturally sensitive care for all pediatric patients, The Kid Experts® at Children's Minnesota and Henna & Hijabs ? a Minnesota-based and Black-, Muslim-, woman-led company ? are joining together to embark on a new frontier: a new modest pediatric hospital gown.

The new modesty gowns, designed by Henna & Hijabs founder Hilal Ibrahim, will allow medical care teams to provide necessary care while giving pediatric patients the appropriate modest coverage through intentional design features. Though designed with Muslim patients in mind, the gowns are available to any pediatric patient. 

"As part of our mission to champion the health needs of all kids, Children's Minnesota is committed to providing equitable and inclusive care through every aspect of a family's experience, right down to the medical gown kids wear during their stay at the hospital," said Dr. Emily Chapman, Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President of Medical Affairs at Children's Minnesota. "Many kids spend a long time at the hospital and it's important that we provide all patients with culturally-sensitive and inclusive clothes that meet our medical standards. Our hope is that this serves as a model for other health systems and care providers."

Children's Minnesota, a leading pediatric health system located in the Twin Cities, is one of the first U.S. hospital systems to offer the modesty gown specifically designed for children. The gowns, created in partnership with Henna & Hijabs and the consultation of Children's Minnesota pediatric clinicians and patient families, come in four sizes, and are designed with sleeves that are 3/4 length, a detachable hijab component and a closure that can be worn either front- or back-facing to give providers and patients flexibility. The new gowns will begin as a pilot in March, and will then roll out to all Children's Minnesota patients.

"Health care is one of the most personal ? and important ? parts of our lives. Through our collaboration with Children's Minnesota, our aim is to help patients and their families feel seen and understood in those moments," said Hilal Ibrahim, founder and CEO of Henna & Hijabs. "The modesty gown, a long overdue innovation, merges health care and fashion design expertise. Historically, patient gowns have largely not seen redesign that addresses inclusivity to this scale. We know that culturally inclusive care leads to improved patient experience, which is why it is so important that these kinds of options are available for patients from all backgrounds." Henna & Hijabs launches the new patent-pending pediatric modesty gown from its recently formed H&H Med brand, a new division of Henna & Hijabs formed to create solutions for more inclusive health care experiences.

This is just the latest example of inclusive initiatives by the largest pediatric health system in Minnesota. In the summer of 2023, Children's Minnesota began offering head caps and hijabs to patients. Children's Minnesota also offers hair care products made for children with various textured hair, after receiving input from patient families looking for more inclusive options.

Henna & Hijabs was founded by Ibrahim to address the lack of access Muslim women face in finding sustainable and fashionable hijabs in both retail and health care settings. Henna & Hijabs previous milestones include the world's first ever medical-grade hijab for health care workers (launched in 2019), first-ever warehouse worker-safe hijabs (launched in partnership with a major employer in 2023) and one of the first luxury hijab collections to be sold at a major U.S. retailer.

For centuries, women around the world have worn hijabs, and today, 43% of the Muslim population in the United States regularly embraces this practice. However, the availability of hygienic hijab options in medical settings, for both providers and pediatric patients, has been limited.

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About Children's Minnesota
Children's Minnesota is one of the largest pediatric health systems in the United States and the only one in Minnesota devoted exclusively to children, from before birth through young adulthood. An independent and not-for-profit system for more than 100 years, Children's Minnesota offers more than 60 pediatric specialties through its two hospitals, multiple specialty centers and clinics throughout the metro area. The Kid Experts® at Children's Minnesota are chosen by more families than any other pediatric health system in the region.

Find us on Facebook @childrensminnesota or on Twitter and Instagram @childrensmn. Please visit childrensMN.org.

About Henna & Hijabs
Henna & Hijabs is a Black, women-owned Minneapolis-based company founded on the belief that fashion can be good for both people and the planet. We are committed to creating beautiful handmade hijabs and organic henna. Find out more at hennaandhijabs.com. Engage with H&H on Instagram @hennaandhijabs and Facebook at Facebook.com/hennaandhijabs

SOURCE Children's Minnesota