OUR BABIES. (By Hygeia.)

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 41, 18 February 1911, Page 15

OUR BABIES. (By Hygeia.)

Published under the auspices ot the Society lor the Promotion ot tne Healtn of Women and Children. "It i« wiser to put up a fence ot tbo top o{ a precipice than to maintain an ambulance at tbe botrtom."- ' ~<f 'ADDRESS OP PLTJNKET NUESB AND SECRETARY. (Wellington— Plunket Nurse McDonald, 73, Aro-street. Tel. 2425. ~- Hon. sec. Mrs. M'Yicar, 27. Brougham-street. Plunket Nurse's services free. HARDENING A DELICATE CHILD. I give a sample case, drawn, from, many -within my own personal experience, illustrating the benefits of the "hardening process" systematically and .judiciously carried out during early childhood. My Teaeons for selecting this particular case are threefold — viz. :— (1) The child was extremely delicate jwhen, ehe first came under our observa- \ tion, over three y-eais ago, and was steadily dwindling and becoming feebler and feebler, in spite of the fact that the family w«r« • doing their best and were quite unsparing in their devotion. The child was really receiving ' too much, rather than too little, attention — but the «are was of the wrong kind. (2) The progress of the casejstapdß recorded in a series of letters covering the whole period, and these convey in simple, homely terms, the progress made from tiinejsri time. (3)The relations are quite willing thao the "letters should be published', in spite of the fact, that the details and circumstances render identification possible. Indeed, when' communicated with on the subject, the grandmother replied, with fine public spirit: "There is not the slightest objection to making the case public ; names can be mentioned if you think well. We are only too glad if we can in any way help the good work of the 'society." \ THE GOSPEL OF HEALTH. If all mothers and grandmothers were equally broad and liberally minded — equally willing to admit the mistakes of the past, and change their point" of view with the advance of human knowledge — the task of the,. .society in spreading its "gospel of health" would receive a wonderful impetus. However, we have no reason to complain, of lack of help from, parents whose babies have been ea'vtct or benefited by conforming to the essential need 6of child life, as practically taught in the home by the Plunket nurses and laid down in the society's publication. Wherever parents who have .been convinced by their own practical* experience of the enormous benefit accruing to -children from the simple, ■Bystematac care •recommended by , the society become helpful centres of light and leading for their district, they constitute in effect "branches" of the society. , HISTOEY OF THE CHILD. The child was brought by the grandmother to the Karitane Hospital in January, 1908. - She was then over 2£ years of age, but was pale, feeble, flabby, and spiritless. During the first two years of life she had made good headway, growing well, talking, walking, and getting about in a normal way. Towards the end of the second year progress was less satisfactory. Gradually ' the child became irritable and capricious, lost her appetite, and manifested increasing inactivity and listlessness. The parents were advised that there was irritation of the stomach arid bowels, and as month after month went by with steady aggravation of the symptoms, and falling off in every direction, they did all they could to tempt the child to take sufficient food to keep up -nutrition. Not only was the appetite very poor, but she became moi'o and more fastidious. Do what they would, sufficient milk' was not taken, and simple,, wholesome foods such as bread-and-butter, toast, or plain biscuits were refused. There appeared to be no alternative but to further humour and "spoil" the child with tweet biscuits, sweet puddings, etc., which it took more willingly than anything else. Under this regimen there was a sad falling-off, but not k> much in weight as in strength and activity. Being no longer able to run or even walk, she was wheeled about in a gocojt, and when she was stood up there was obvious knock-knee. There was no vomiting or diarrhoea — no evidence of definite disease of any kind — pothing calling for the use of drugs or strictly medical measures in any direction. "What the child needed was simjily "What Every Child Needs, Whether" Well or 111" (see pages 1 and 2 of the society's book), and for the very Teason that it was ailing, an even stricter conformity than ordinary to these primary and inexorable requirements oi Nature was of vital importance. WHAT WAS WEONG. The use of wrong food, undue frequency of feeding, the giving of pieces between meals, irregularity of habits, lack of muscular exercise, lack of stimulation of the skin (and consequent slackness and absence of tone throughout thewhole system) — these were quite sufficient to account for the remarkable and progressive falling-off in condition which ■was causing such alarm and making the parents further "spoil" the child in the vain effort to keep it from further wasting and going down hill. In such cases, in the absence of definite knowledge, the more affectionate and devoted are the parents the more difficult ifc is for them to bring themselves to properly regulate and discipline the course of a child's life y [see "Forming a Character," page 135 of the society's book). Once a wide departure from the proper daily routine has been made, owing perhaps to some temporary indisposition or illness (such as we may assume to have upset the child in question), a return to normal habits needs great tact, patience, and firmness 1 on the part of guardians. In the present instance fortunately, all these requirements were forthcoming, as soon as the relaiioDS had been brought to realise what was essential. WHAT HAD TO BE DONE. The leading instructions to the grandtnother were on the lines laid down in the beginning of the society's book. Meals. Suitable meals oi" wholesome, plain food, such as bread and butter, toast, rusks, porridge, milk (1£ pints a day), were to be given with perfect regularity only three, or, at most, four tunes in tfie 24 hours. No "pieces" were to be permitted between meals, and no "10lMes," cake, or sweet biscuits, etc., at any time. A drink of water might be given between meals if the child were specially thirsty. The use of wholesome, ripo fruit and euitable vegetables was to be encouraged at meal times. The little meat allowed v/as to be underdone. Thorough, mastication \va& to be ensured as far as poseible. '('his dietetic regimen was not to be errived at suddenly, but by proper gradations, and pending some improvement in digestion the milk was to be partly modified. Due warning was given as to the harm liable to arise from any sudden, extreme change of habits> It was explained that some weeks would have to be scent in ,

attaining th* prescribed goal, but that distinct vices eucli as the taking ol "sweets" and "pieces" between meals were to be abandoned at once. Exercise. As the child could not walk, Jhe first exercise had to be given, in the form of ."massage," which fortunately a member of the family was able to carry out herself, as she had had some nursing experience. Bathing. Stimulation of the skin was to be initiated by first sponging the limbs only, cold bathing for the whole body being gradually .arrived at on the lines laid down in the preceding articles and summarised on page 71 of the society's book. In this connection* particular strees was laid on the paramount need for winning the child to resume the use of its voluntary muscles, by making the "exercise after bathing" take the form of an open-air game — such as the most primitive form of "hide and seek," carried out in such a way as to induce the child not to dawdle, but to run with spirit from point to point of the route chosen - for the morning excursion. (This may seem very troublesome and exacting, but it must be borne in--fifind that the relations were iq -earnest, and that they were fighting for the child s health and life." Moreover, th.ey~-won, .the battle "In the course -of a single month !) '