OUR BABIES.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 14327, 12 April 1912, Page 5

OUR BABIES.

(Bt Htgeia.'i

("Weekly Press and Referee.")

So many enquiries reach mc by every mail concerning the new edition of the "Feeding and Car© of the Baby," not only from New Zealand, but from all parts of the -world, that we feel bound to' do something to supply immediate requirements pending the issue of the complete book.

It is therefore our intention to meet this immediate demand by publishing in this column during tho next few -weeks an tip-to-dato summary -which will enable mothers to follow the Society's teachings, especially with the aid cf the Plunket .Nurses.

These articles, with some additions, will bo reprinted in pamphlet form. WHAT EVERY BABY NEEDS, WHETHER WELL OR ILL 1 I.—AIR.

Abundance, of.pure cool outsido air flowing fresh and free day and night. Ventilation means a current across a room, which cannot bo got by a metro open window. Keep baby out of direct draught. lI.—WATER. Must bo boiled. Bathing water should be boiled also if of doubtful purity. lII.—FOOD. Suitable food, with proper intervals, aud nothing between tho regular feedings. Best food —healthy mother's milk. Best substitute —humanised milk. So other food for first nine months. Beware of patent Foods, Condensed Milks, and 'Pieces." IV.—CLOTHING. Must be non-irritating, non-const rietivc, light, but sufficiently warm. V.—BATHING. Cosy corner. Bath and dress very quickly —no dawdling. (If baby :1! <r very delicate forego bath for day or so, and substitute wiping rapidly with a cloth wrung out ot warm water). VI.—MUSCULAR "EXERCISE AND SENSOR V STI.MULATIOX. Important both in health and disease. When a baby is ill for some timo the tone and activity of the muscic. and other tissues and organs can usually bo fairly sustained by good nursing, judicious handling, changing position in cot. massage, etc. As the baby improves airing of skin, bathing, and plenty of outing in sunlight aro essential. VII.— WARMTH. Warmed air and surroundings are essential for prematures, and necessary at first tor those who have boon coddled. Diarrhoea and coids are often duo to cold teet and legs, and may be cured by attention to this and the other essentials. Babies—like adults —benefit i enormously by being kept in pure cold , air if properly clad.

VIII.—REGULARITY OF HABITS.* Regularity ol .ceding, with proper intervals ancl no food between meals. Regularity of action of the bowelsRegularity oi exercise, sleep, etc IX.—CLEANLIN ES*>. Cleanliness in everything, especially with regard to food and feeding utensils.

foiled napkins must be removed from room at once and placed in water. Hands which have come in contact w _ _ soi,e<i napkins must be well washed before agaiu handling tho baby or its food.

X—MOTHERING. Proper mothering and handling of a baby aro essential for the bost growth of No woman is a perfect "born-mother"—sho has to learn how. XI .—MAN AG EMENT. Fond and foolish over-indulgence, mismanagement, and "spoiling 1 ' may be as harmful to an infant as callous neglect or intentional cruelty.

Tho "cant-be-so-cruel" mother or nurse, who won't bring herself to wake tho baby a few times, if needed, iv order to establish once for all regular feeding habits, or who weakly gratifies every whim of herself and the child, rather than allow either to suffer temporary discomfort for the sake of permanent health and happiness—such a woman is really cruel, not kind. To save a lusty, honest cry she will pacify an infant with a "comforter" or with food given at wrong times, and may thus ruin tho child in the first month of life, making him a delicate, fretful, irritable, nervous, dyspeptic little tyrant, who will yell and scream, day or night, if not soothed and cuddled without delay. XII.—REST AND SLEEP. These depend mainly on the above. Remember to turn the baby in its cot, and remove wet napkins, cold bottles, EXTRAS WHEN ILL. When ill what may a baby need in addition to tho above "12 essentials." which ho must havo whether well or ill? For BROKEN LEG. splints, dressings, ftr. For BURNS, soothing and protectivo dressings. For CHEST COMPLAINTS — e.g.. Coughs, Colds. Consumption, Heart Disease. Pleurisy, Pneumonia, \\ hooping Cough, etc. Drugs, etc.. will be ordered by doctor if needed. For ABDOMINAL COMPLAINTS — e.g., Colic, Diarrhoea, Dyspepsia:— Details for Diarrhoea :— * (1) Prompt evacuation of microbes and fermenting and IKiisonous materials from tho bowels e.g., by enema, and use of castor oil. if needed. i (2) Arrest of further growth of microbes by temporarily stopping food supplies and" giving only boiled water. Drugs, etc.. will be ordered by doctor if needed. For FEVERS AND OTHER DISEASES the abovo principles apply throughout. N.B.— The rational treatment of every form of ill-health, from broken bones to fevers, is to take extra care to provide a* perfectly as poss bio al! the simpio essentials for health—Pure Air, Pure Water, Suitable Food, Suitable Clothing. Cleanliness, Exorcise. Rest, and Regularity of all Habits. Inough Drugs are rarely essential in the cure of Disease in Babies, thero are times when the savins ot life may depend on their tiuielv and proper use--a question which can b 0 decided only by a doctor.

If Baby is iU a Doctor should always bo called in, if possible. Never resort to Soothing Powders or Patent Medicines!