OUR BABIES

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 70, 16 December 1919, Page 7

OUR BABIES

IB* llYGm.l Published under tho auspice! o" the Royal Now Zealand Society for tlio lie.iiih of Women and Children. • "It is wiser to put up a laliee thu lop of a preoijiice tliau to maintain an ambulant'!! at the bottom." Although infantile diarrhoea, i: not nearly so'tttui in the Bouimion as it was lorliterly, there aro usually a largo number of cases during the summer] therefore, we repeat our annual warning. INFANTILE DIARRHOEA. As tho season is approaching during which summer diarrhoea tends to Itcomo rife amouc babies, it is important to emphasise the fact that the disease generally attacks.miauls who have been moro o.' leas out of sorts for rotuo time n'evioutly. Jlr.tiiei'6 should now be on their guard, and should watch carefully for .tny sign tf failure, such an listlessness. dullness, loss of appetite, fretfuluess, eto. Indigestion auc to unauitablo food and irregular feeding is tho main predisposing caueo of diarrhoea in babies, eo that ail mothers should be specially vigilant in summer. They should be perfectly regular in feedinc, and should glvo the el'ildren nothing unsuitable (r liable to disagree. THE HOLIDAY SEASON. Unfortunately, it is just at Christmaß time and tiiruc&hout tho Jioliaays—the hottest seaaou of Uie year-thai 'ur i\cw Zealand mothers becorno most irroguiur uud careless in these matters. Cue i'reiiuunlly sees tiny lots beiug etuft'ed with co.lteß, .bananas, and sweets of all kinds, and a looting of great indignation arises at. tho gross ignorance which malies such l'olly possible. Travelling by rait or sea, or visiting friends, the child's power of endurance is strained to tho utmost, and many an unfortuuato infant in tho dominion makes no progress from Christmas time to mid-January on thin "ccount; hence, when the most trying days come, and summer diarrhoea ia rife, the fatal disease linocks effectively ~at the houses where the duors aro already ajar. In such cases, if, the disease does gain a foothold, the unfortunate baby cannot oscapo unscathed, lie may not die, but at best, he will be thrown back for months, Mid more or less injured for life. I need scarcely say that vreventive measures of almost equal importance to proper food and regular feeding tiro ihe other essentials of hygiene—namely: Pure, . cool, free-Sowing fresh air day and night; suitable clothing by day and night; plenty of outing; regular exercise and sleep; regularity of the bowels and other habits; cleanliness. Dummies should be got rid of at once. The abovo applies to all children. It is, however, among young babies that summer diarrhoea plays the greatest luivoc. What should mothers do to prevent its onset? NATURAL FEEDING THE BEST PREVENTIVE. The main prcveiuivu measure ia to feed tabie6 as Nature intended. lloUle-ftd baoies are far more liaote to got ihe nisouso than those that are breast-fed; thorolore, it possiue, Uo noi wean during January, i'eoruary.-or March. The mother must, of course, do all she oan to make sure that her supply of milk is good and sufficient by tuKiiig plenty of oxcrcieo in tho open air, by restricting herself to good, simple food taken at regular intervals, including from one to two pints more fluid than fne would drink if not nursing, by having a current cl' pure,' fresh, free-ilowing air coursing through her bedoom all night long, and by regularity of all habits. Tiie nursing mother Miouid utile nu alcohol in any torai. All the above-mentionou hygienic measures must be attended to as carefully wlieu the . baby has the inestimable benefit of good motner's milk ib when he is bottle-fed.

II it is absolutely necessary to vean your uaby. do it gradually, and r;.vo pio-perly-groded humanieed r,i!k. Mover givo lull-oirenglli luinMniaisd. liiiiK ts start with, but begin, with a wean food r.nd i radually work up to the standard as udvh'cd in liie cociuty 3 book, "feeding and Care of Baby," page in. A THREATENED ATTACK. If a motion ajipearn green whoi; passed, tho inotlier shoti.-a bo on her guard atouce. and nhould watcn carefully the ite:U. it it ia alto Biecn, slit saould proceed as .foilo.vo, 'wheliier baby is breast-Jed' or bottle-fed:— o 1. liivu a dose of castor oil-one or two draoiimb, according to ago. Tne i'xuage licci is an ordinary te'aspoor.ful. i Give .boiled water only for Uo next two feedings.. If baby is breast-fed,' the mother must draw oil llie milk, from-her breasts at the usual- feeding-ti;nes i-i'.her by manipulation or by m-fcait-ir.mi;) ::r t> finhi-v/Mcr i<otilo. (Heo ."The lixpoctiinl. llel-her and Ilaby's Pirrt Jionth," page £■!, ?.«l illus-' tra-ions, paie o-i.l -.1 J.f the trouble still persists, continue giving boiicii water, and call in a doctor, if there are iu more, after the Iwo feedings of boiled water, proceed as folio.vh:— - 1. Jn the case of a breaut-fed iiaby. giva a few ounces of '.'oiled water jutt before nursing, and. allow baby 10 M;cltje for a few minutes only. At the next feeding give less water and a longer veriod <f suokling. and eo on, the allowance of water being cautiously reduced nt cccli feeding and tho suckling extended. 2. In the case of a bottle-fed -baby, boil the humanised milk for twenty minutes,

end dilute it with boiled water, /t- thu firr.t feeding following the two lneal.i c<' boiled water only, give -me part cf 1 oiled humanised milk to four -enrts c,t 1.-iiled water. At tho . two 'eedings give two parts of h'jnar.ised milk to three parln cf boiled water; then give tiireo inrls of liiima'iiscd milk to Iwo i-art3 of boiled weter fcr two or three /eedimts. If all has gone well. fuil-i!t.ren?rih boiled humanised mill: may l-o reached at tho end of another day. After that only half the milt; need l>> boiled; then a iiuarter, and then tho boiling may cease. OLDER OftrijDHrlN. During the summer months children eo frp.oßontly eat unripe or part.i'Uy-dee.iyed fruit that a constant watch should je kept for signs of indigestion and diarrhoea. Treat older children in Ihe same way as babies—that is. give a doso cf castor oil and boiled water only for two r.r throe meals. Then givo boiled mill: ~ .id rioo water. When the attack has passed off, gradually work back to ordinary ,'yod.

Womon in the British Parliament. The news that was cabled out to Now Zealand at the beginning of tho week of the success oi' 1.-ady As tor's candidature in tho by-election for one of the Plymouth seals is of particular interest at the present; moment of New Zealand affairs, not only to women, but to men as well. That s'as should have Won her campaign shows how greatly tho people of England are throwing aside their conservatism, and what a totally different position in the world women are talcing. It is an incident which the people of this country may lvell ponder upon, and not only ponder upon, but emulate as soon a.s possible, if Oliey do not wish to belong to ono of tho few remaining countries in which democracy has, yet to bo realised. Women at Home,_ visualising the wide field for work which lies before them, particularly in regard to tlie interests of women and children, upon whom the welfare of the nation rests, intend to lake full advantage-of the opportunities for service which are. now within their grasp, and they are now and have been for some time prist training themselves-with that end. in view. 'Piial 110 women candidates were successful in the last Uritfsh elections (with but 0110 exception) was due very largely to tho fact that the elections followed before they had time to organise and adjust ptibli" ■"■liihioit to the new development of affairs. It is simply an incredible thing that 6iicli a statement can bo made in tihis country with even'but a small amount of truth that "the greatest opponent!-- to the successful e'.cction of women to Parliament are women themselves." And unfortunately thero is tmlili in' the remark. It; is by 110 means infrequent to hear women say "they don't believe in women being in l'ariiani;nt." Apparently it never enters tilieir mind that tike interests and welfare of women and children are just as important and even more important to a country than ari those of the men, and that men with (lie best intentions in the world cannot of ueccsuty see tilings as a woman can nor realise how- legislation may affect lier and ilier children mentally, morally, and physically to h'er and their detriment. Nor do they seem to realise that ns half the nation, and not the least important half, they should have representatives of their own sex to legislate or help to legislate for them. It is rather curious that the two women elected to the British Parliament: should be titled women, Lady A .star being the latest, and Iho Connies* Markievicz, an I Irishwoman, tho first