A MOTHER'S LETTER

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2860, 26 August 1916, Page 14

A MOTHER'S LETTER

Effect of Raw, Sunless Weather on . Baby. Dear "Hygeia,"—Being u mother, I ■watch with' keen interest every week your remarks on infant feeding, etc., etc. My baby is now live months old, and though rather delicate after birth, seems now apparently to bo thriving and healthy. I'm afraid Jus chest is, delicate, and I want your advice about fresh air for him. We get a good deal of raw, sunless weather here, and I find, when baby is put nut in it, his cough seems to trouble him more, and so I bring him inside unwillingly knowing well how necessary fresh air is to him. I shall be. watching eagerly for your answer through the "Our Babies" column. Thanking you in anticipation--Tours, etc. REPLY.

In a case of this kind, where a baby has a persistent cough aggravated by adverse weather which prevails in tho district, the first point to settle is tho nature and cause of tho ailment- with which the cough is associated. This,, of course, is a matter for. tho doctor. A persistent tendency to cough is nearly always duo to some ailment or weakness for tho time being of the breathing organs—nose, throat, tubes,, or chest—or there may be a special nervous sensitiveness, as inthe case of people prone to asthma. The problem is one for the doctor to investigate and solve in the individual case. Something, however, may be said here, in a general way, as to how the adverse weather problem may be faced where a baby is specially susceptible to the elfecte of cold, damp air. First of all, it should be clearly understood that the normal healthy baby (who has neither been coddled nor rashly exposed to draughts, cold winds, otc, and so made ill or delicate) should be quite proof against the mere stress of ordinary changes in the weather. If this wore not so how could we account for the fact that the hardiestraces grow up in countries such as Scotland, Scandinavia, and Nova Scotia, where mists and damp, raw days are prevailing features. If people are to live in such countries tiiey must Do reared strong enough to withstand climatic trials; indeed, it is 'nose very climatic conditions which render tho children of what are regarded as some of the less favoured regions of the earth, stronger, hardier, and more resistant to coughs and colds tii'an tfibse brougiit up in milder and seemingly more favoured regions. Recently, it is true, I have dwelt specially on the harmful effects of air laden with tho moisture of our breath; but that is quite a- different thing from tho naturally damp air of islands, the soa coast, and the ocean itself; otherwise, fisher folk and mariners would not have their proverbial vigour and hardiness. ' • .

Out-door Life and Exercise. Every, normal child should be benefited and rendered proof against ordinary changes of weather by living as nearly as possible an out-door life day arid night. The great preventives of coughs and colds are:—(l) Puro air, (2) cool air, (3) moving air, (4) plenty of exercise, (5) all the other simplo factors for health, such as proper clothing, proper feeding, regular habits, etc. .-It may Iks' said: ''But what can he done in the way of exerciso in tho case of a b'aliy only five months of age?" T. am sure most people have the idea that an "infant in arms" gets practically no exercise and needs none— that it merely has to sleep, feed, and grow. Ts'o idea can he more mistaken than this. What Exercise Can a Five-months-old Babi- Get? (1) First and foremost, such a baby should do at least an hour's hard muswork every day in the form of suckling (see page 117 of the Society's Book, "Feeding and Care of Baby''). This not only involves vigorous exercise for the muscles of the mouth, throat, and stomach, but it also gives tone and activity to the whole of tile muscles of the body. (2) .Kicking exercise, stimulation of the skin by judicious exposure, the bath, etc. These matters arc fully explained on pages 82 and Si of the Society's Book, to which we hope our readers will turn.

(3) Rubbing and Massage.—Friction applied to tlio skin and deep rubbing of the muscles, etc., are naturally given by the mother, more or less, in drying her child after the bath. However, more than this is advfsable if a child shows any tendency to inactivity or sluggishness, or if it is prone to catch cold or suffer from any other ordinary ailment. ' A delicate baby may be rendered firm and hardy by rubbing and message after efforts in other directions have failed— provided always that the other simple requirements for health (see pages 1 and 2 of the Society's Book) receive duo attention. In order to impress on our readers the supremo importance of regular exercise and stimulation of tho skin aud muscles I purpose giving later some account of the part played by lack of proper exercise in bringing about adenoids as a secondary result of repeated catarrhs. Eegular exercise is the first and foremost need for health and vigour, and it is wonderful how people will remain comparatively strong and well if placed under very adverse circumstances, provided they pay due attention to daily exercise. The following ' extract from A. G. Gardiner's sketch of Prince Kropotkin, taken from "The Pillars of Society," bears on this point. During his long, solitary confinement in a Russian prison, the Prince "preserved his health by walking five miles a day in his cell—looo times from corner to corner—and by gymnastics with ,his stool." In the case of our. correspondent's baby it is possible a catarrhal habit has become so established for the time being that it cannot bo got rid of by such simple measures as I havo suggested. A change of climate for a few months —the going to a sunnier, drier region —may bo needed to set matters completely right. Once cured, the child would probably not bo upset when subjected again to the ordinary climatic changes which now prove so trying. Of course, the doctor must decide whether such a complete change is really necessary. Of one thing we may be quite sure —ho will insist on no pains being spared to get rid of tho undue tendency to coughs and colds.