OUR BABIES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1704, 22 March 1913, Page 11

OUR BABIES.

[By Hygeia.]

Published under the auspices of tho Society for tho . Health of Women and Children. . . "It is wik:r to put up a.fonco at tlio top of a. prccipico than to maintain an ambulance at tho' bottom." THE ACCUESED DUMMY. When I,have to denounce the "dummy" or "coinfol'tor," it is always with a sense of humiliation and indignation—humiliation to think. that any woman can lie unwomanly enough to continue to use a filthy abomination which has proved itself so deforming and damaging, to children—humiliation to think that -some will continue doing this wrong until tho policeman won't'let them; in other words, ■until the}' are prevented by tho passing of an Act of Parliament; and indignation to think that ignorant and foolish women should still bo subjected to the temptation of specious advertisements, lauding ■tho "dunjmy," which oonfront them wnenever they enter a chemist's shop.

WHAT JOHN BURNS SAYS ABOUT THE DUMMY. Four years ago, in his opening address at the tuberculosis exhibition in London, Jolin Burns said: Now I come to another practical remedy for-consumption—that is, tho abolition of tlio "comforter" and ths. "soother." This is a. very serious thing. The bomb, tho. pistol, arid dynamito. have killed their scores, but I believe tho "comforter" .or "dummy" teat has killed numbers more of little children. What is more, doctors tell me that it subjects the baby's mouth and throat to malformations that disclose themselves in l subsequent years.. I am told this—and I believe it is—a special cause of bad teeth. Later on it means impaired digestion, and the relationship of impaired digestion and consumption is a very serious one. I express it as my opinion as a laynjan that to a great extent tho "comforter" or "soother is responsible, in. 'many cases, for' adenoids. ... I would endure the charge of being a bureaucrat with pleasure and with equanimity if with one order I could make the "comforter" a ' public, nuisance and schedule it as a dangerous instrument.

WHAT AN F.R.C.S. OP ENGLAND SAYS. ' ! In a book just published, written by an M.D. of London and F.It.C.S. of England, I find tlio following under tlifi heading "The Crying of Children":— Clbsely. associated with tho question, of crying is' that of tlio uso of the "comforter" or ."dummy" teat.- No more iniquitous or dangerous tappliaace was ever invented 'than the "dummy" teat. It has been the cause of physical defect, or even death, to- many children. The "dummy" is thrust into the mouth of a child, who may be .crying, at all times, without the least regard to the cause of its complaint, so that it soon bccomes a habit to allow the infant, to.suck at the instrument, whether he cries or not. Its use is merely a subterfuge by which tha responsible evade the proper lnvesfagation of the cause of tho crying. Children may be wrongly fed for weeks, the crying froih thß jxun of indigestion psing checked and suppressed by a "comforter" pushed into the mouth. _ Many people seem to imagine, that crying,., in season and out, is tho natural heritage of infancy, and that children are unreason.-, ing creatures, who cry .simply .because they aro babies. This. is' not so, natural lot of 'a cliild is to bs happy and contented, his cry merely being his sole means/ of demonstrating his hunger or discomfort. Tho use of.tlio "dummy' is a oonfession that a child's attendant will not bother to seek , a cause for liis dis- .... . . ' . . . Apart from' these ethical objections to its use, it,is' itself, harmful. t • No matter,' how good the intentions or .how good tho "caTO taken, "dummies" aro bound to fall about, becolno ;soiled, and pick,.up all kinds' of .noxious germ's. Th'ey bccomo saturated' with saliva, and milk, they may be soiled by vomit from the stoma oh. they inevitably become sour and unwholesome. Nevertheless, the v'Ktched'Kinfaiif '.i3"taught to suck this dangerous 1 an'd nasty object at all times. ..Apart from, this .introduction of 'germs and poisons' into the system of the baby, the pressure' of tho teat in , tlio mouth causes deformity and defects which will affect the; health for many, years. The constant sucldng- and pressure tend to cause a highly arched palato, and. a,narrow. jaw which will be too small for the teeth, so that they will be crowded irregularly together and rapidly 'decay.. Th®. shape of the lips and moutli are altered, the space of tho noso encroached upon,' and that: most frequent trouble; "adenoids," set up. Thero is 110 need for "dummy" teats, for if a child is uriliappy thero is something amiss which should be sought for and' corrected. The writer has two young children who have nevei?' seen a comforter, and • can safely say • that in the . two years that have elapsed since tho arrival of the first the number of 'disturbed nights could be counted on the fingers.y