MOTHERS AND CHILDREN.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXI, Issue 7933, 15 December 1909, Page 4

MOTHERS AND CHILDREN.

By HYamiA. Published cnder the auspiobb ov the Society foe the Promotion ov the Heaith of Women and Childee*?. "It is wiset to ptit up a fence at the top of a. precipice th'aii to mamtain an ambulance at the bottom;"- :

THE LESSON OF KARITANfe HOSPITAL:.

I promised last week'tliat I >vould obtain a list of all the. babies in the Karitane Baby : Hospital to.show how regularly and infallibly; they respond to the simple lines .of treatment recommended by the Society and taught to mothers both at the hospital and by the Plnnket. nurses. In the fore-front are pure fresh air, exercise regularly, etc., and the absolute avoidance; of condensed milk, .patent foods, etc., of practically anything in the way of nutriment beyond humanised milk up to nine months of age. ■ ' sills sell Big-s* ' „ » . S » boo „ jjs ■ . . . ■ ■. _cV h-i

. _■■ |_iH-< M t-1 F* £ 1 I HPPPHOSKbIIifI? G 5* j 1 I I.HOOHIt> <* flb P ■ _ <9 >• pj l-> |j H J" W ug | as w*»i-ioocooiC!t©osO' p" . 2. O »j ■ wi i—i i—i v-j !^2 bo *y 2L s • feti. a co oo ot co '-I gj gbs bs bio ng: 5 j-j >j 3 ■ ■ . . t- 1 ■ ►** ;' C«H-'>-'CiSO9 OS-;IO COl-'t-'l-'N ,_3 k? OH" ■• IS* O (*>■ • j3 is* P _ 01 5- 25 on p-JcoooM t^?" j? 0

■o en to rf*. a> oi oo oo t» 2 j?"

The above table shows' all the babies who remained in the hospital for a month and upwards during October and November: Taking the dozen babies, the increases in weight work out at slightly tinder lijlb per month; but if we exclude the eighth baby on the list (who' only commenced to gain !hi the second month) it .will be fo.und that the average gain of the rest was just over l^lb per month. It must be remembered that these were "hospital babies," sent in| almost without'exception, because they were gravely, ill or had been doing very badly. Tlie worst of: them naturally kept down the average, because some of the feeblest took several weeks to get rid of their indigestion, diarrhoea, etc., and to get into their " proper stride" as regards nutriment and growth. Tho three best of Se above gained just 21b per month, le average gain of healthy babies at the same age is only ljlb. to l£lb per month. This shows how well the little mites get rid of their troubles and do their best to make up. for lost time, when they are given simply pure air, suitable food and clothing,: plenty of exercise and outing, due attention and perfect regularity of habits. Indeed, in the few instances where for special reasons babies are allowed to remain in the Karitane Hospital beyond a couple of months it is remarkable how such infants, who/had previously been doing badly, continued to put on their l|lb to 21b a month once they have been got on to the right track. This rapid growth soon brings them at or near to the normal 'weight: for their age, in spite of previous handicaps.

AFTER EFFECTS. However, it must, never be forgotten thai during the period when a baby remains for weeks or months scarcely growing, or actively going down hill, more or less irreparable damage is being done, especially to the teeth, which will not be properly covered with enamel—just as the portions of nail I which grow during starvation or illness are) always thin and defective. Further, it should be borne in mind that if the first teeth decay early there is very poor chance for the permanent set. . We can do our best to make up lost ground, but the baby who is stunted during the period of most active growth really becomes quite all that he might have been. When will mothers realise this, and so treat their offspring as to prevent their getting ill or debilitated ; when will they treat them rationally throughout, instead of letting them drift and trusting to patching up afterwards ?