OUR BABIES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2976, 13 January 1917, Page 5

OUR BABIES

TBY HTGEU.I I'uhliilicd under tlio auEpiocs of tho Royol Now Zealand Society for tho Hoalth of Women and Children. "It is wiser to put a fonco at tho top of a prccipicc than to maintain an tunbulanco at tho bottom."

INFANTILE DIAH-HHOJSA. . Sujunici- diarrhoea generally attacks infants ivlio havo been more or less out'of sorts for some time previously. Mothers should now be on their guard, and should watch carefully for any s.'gn of failure, such as listlessness, <1 ul hie,so, loss of appetite, fretfulnoss, etc

Indigestion due to unsuitable food, and irregular feeding is tho main predisposing cause of diarrhoea in babies, so that all mothers should bo specially vigilant in summer, 'l'hey should be perfectly regular in feeding, and should give the children nothing unsuitable or liablo to disagree. THE HOLIDAY SEASON. Unfortunately, ifc is just at Christmas time and throughout tho holidays—tho hottest season of the year—that our Kow Zealand mothers become most irregular and careless in these matters. One frequently sees tiny tots being stuffed with cakes, bananas, and sweets of all kinds, and a feeling of great indignation arises at the gross ignorance which makes such folly possible. Travelling by rail and sea, or visiting friends, the child's poiver of endurance is strained to the utmost, and n:\any an unfortunate infant in the Dominion makes no progress from Christmas time to mid-January on this account; hence, when tho most trying days come, and summer diarrhoea is rife, the fatal disease knocks effectively at the houses wljgi'o tho doors are already ajar. In such cases, if the disease does gain a foothold, the unfortunate baby cannot escape unscathed. He may not die, but at best ho will be thrown back for months, and more or less injured for life.

X need scarcely say that preventive of almost eqtal importance to proper food and regular 'ceding are the other essentials of hygiene—namely,

Pare, cool, free-flowing fresh air day and night.

Suitable clothing by day and night. Plenty of outing. Regular exercise -and sleep. Regularity of tho bowels and other habits.

Cleanliness. Duiumiej 6hould bo gol rid of at once.

Tho above applies to nil children. It is; however, among young babies that summer diarrhoea plays the greatest havoc. What efhould mothers do'to provent its'onset?

NATURAL FEEDING THE BEST PREVENTIVE. The main preventive measure is to feed babies as Nature intended. Bottle-fed babies are far more liable to got the disease than those that are breast-fed; therefore, if possible, do not wean during January, February, or March. The mother mus'c, of course, do all she can to mako sure that her supply of milk is good and sufficient by taking plenty of exercise in the opon air, by restricting herself to good, simple food taken at regular intervals, including from one to two pints, more fluid than 6he would drink if not nursing, by having a current of pure, fresh, free-flowing air coursing through her bedroom all naght long, and by regularity of all habits. The nursing mother 6houl& take no alcohol in any form. . . . All the above-mentioned hygienic measures must be attended to as carefully when the baby has the inestimable benefit of good mother's milk as when ho is bottle-ted.

If it is absolutely necessary to wean your baby, do it gradually, and give pro-perly-graded humanised milk. Never give full-6trengtk humanised milk to start with, but begin- with a weak food and gradually work up to the standard j as advised in tho Society's bonk, "Feeding and Care of Baby," pago 30. A THREATENED ATTACK. If a motion appears green when passed,' the" inother tiiould be on lier guard at once, and.should watch oarefully. the next motion. - If -it " is-also green, she should procoed aa follows, whether baby is breast-fed or bottle-fed:— 1. Give a dose of castor oil—one or two drachms, according to ago. The average need is an ordinary teaspoonful. 2. Give boiled water only for tho next two feedings. , If baby is breast-fed, tho mother must draw off the milk from her breasts at the usual feeding-times either by manipulation or by a breast-pump or a sodawater bottle. (See "The Expectant Mother and Baby's First Month," page 2-1, and illustrations, pago 30.)

If green motions still persist, continue giving boiled water, and call in a doctor. If there are no more green motions after the t>so feedings of boiled water, proceed as follows:—

1. In the case of a breast-fed' baby, give a few ounces of boiled water just before nursing, and allow baby to sucklo for a few minutes only. At the next feeding give loss water and a longer period of suckling, and so on, the allowance of water boing cautiously reduccd at each feeding and tho suckling extended.

2. Ia tho caso of a "bottlc-fod. baby, boil the humanised milk for 20 minuks, and dilute it with boiled water. At the first feeding following the two meals of boiled only, givo ono part of boiled humanised milt to four parts of boiled water. At the next two feedings give two parts' of jhumanised milk to three parts of boile'd water; thon give throe parts of humanised milk to two parts of boiled water for two or tlrreo feedings. If all has gone well, there being no further green or frequent motions, fullstrength boiled humanised milk may bo reached at tho end of another day. After that only half the milk need be boiled; then a quarter, and then the boifing may cease. Older Children. During tho summer months children so frequently eat nnripo or partially-de-cayed fruit that a constant watch should bo, kept for') signs of indigestion and diarrhoea.

Treat older children in the same way as babies—that is, give a doso of castor oil and boiled water only for two or three meals. Then give boiled milk and rico water. When the attack has passed off, gradually work back to ordinary food.