OUR BABIES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3184, 1 April 1911, Page 4

OUR BABIES.

.Published under the auspices of the Society for the Health of Women and Ch ldiren.

“It is wiser to put up a fence at the top of a precipice than to maintai:a an ambulance at the ■bottom.”

•SOOTHING '1 HE BABY. (By “Hygeia.”) If an infant in properly treated it should need no soothing, beyond what is afforded by giving ‘ VSnat every baby needs’' (see pages 1 and 2 of .the ••Feeding and Gare of Baby.”) Of course every child should be shown proper natural attention ;n other words, should be “mothered” and comforted when necessary, but the mother or nurse should avoid undue petting and “spoiling” on the one hand and the use’of “soothing powders,” sweets, “pieces,” or the “dummy,” on the otlier. The strict observance of regularity and proper all-round healthy habits is the sure and safe way—indeed, the only lasting way —to ensure that a baby shall grow into a robust, contented child —the forerunner of a strong, capable, successful, and happy man or woman.

■I am glad to find that the use of the dummy is becoming less and less frequent, but as there are still thousands of children throughout the Dominion relegated to its baneful effects [ make no apology for re-printing below. almost unchanged, what I wrote last year on the subject. THE UNSPEAKABLE DUMMY.

Travelling by train a few weeks ago in the same compartment as ourselves was a. young mother and a beautiful little baby boy of about 15 months. He had the inevitable dummy, with ring attached, hanging bv a cord clown the front of his dress. We were sitting near by, and the little fellow, who was full of life and energy and who was playing about in the carriage, scon made friends with us. Naturally we began to chat with his mother, "and she told us the baby was her only child, and an only grandson as well, so he was very much the apple of her eye and she was evidently much dvoted to him. The lady who was with me remarked that it was a pity the child had a dummy, saying that by using it there was a great risk of deforming his mouth and spoiling liis teeth. The mother replied that she knew some people “said” dummies were not good, but that if my friend had a baby she would probably use cue too when he becomes cross. “At anv rate,” said she, looking with pride at" the beautifully made plump little chap with rosy cheeks and shining eyes, “it has not clone him any harm so far, lias it?”

LACK OF LOGIC. It is one of the amazing points of view of mothers that they always speak in this way. They are quite prepared to persist in a wrong course until they can see actual defined harm, which by that time is more or less irreparable. Women constantly say: “I know such and such a child who had a dummy, and his teeth are all right.” They don't realise that the child’s jaws, teeth, ana digestion would have been still better had no dummy been used .and that for one case v. here they can sec .no damage there would be a dozen cases where the evil effects would bo clear to them if nointed out. The fact is that defective jaws, teeth, and digestion are. “predisposed to ’ by weakness of the mother and by artificial feeding as well as by neglect of any of the factors making for good health, such as fresh air, exercise, regularity, etc. : but the more “immediate exciting” causes of mouth and teeth defects and adenoids are the use of the dummy, the long-tube feeder, and subsequent papfeeding. If the last three were avoided and reasonable care were exericsed by mothers with regard to the hygiene of themselves and their offspring, we should hear no more about, bad teeth and adenoids, which are causing such universal alarm throughout the civilised world to-day. It is not suggested that because a particular child used the dummy therefore it must show characteristic deformities of mouth, teeth, etc., but that" the great majority of children so treated l do show those defects; and these will be aggravated by neglect of care and attention in regard to any of the factors making for health. The most deplorable cases are seen where all the adverse factors mentioned are brought to bear in the case of a particular child who lias been delicate at birth, subjected to only harmful influence —say. for instance, the use of the dummy—may escape not really “'scot free,” but to outward appearance undamaged, and actually more normal than the average child of civilisation.

To return to the baby in the train. We told the, mother about the evils arising from the use of the comforter;: •but I fear our counsels: fall on deaf ears as the dummy was frequently popped into his mouth even when there seemed no excuse whatever for doing so. Presently the little man got down on to the floor and crept along the passage way, which had been trodden and retrodden by passengers going from carriage to carriage, the dummy, of course, trading along the floor. After this excursion the abomination found its way back into the babv’s mouth as usual.

Here is an example of a devoted, mother who had heard something in a ivague way about the evils which arise from the use of the dummy, and yet who evidently did not consider the matter of sufficient importance to cause her to inquire further, or to break her baby of the bad habit.

In connection with the reariug of children the dummy is everywhere recognised by the leading doctors and dentists as one of the greatest evils of the day, and it is humiliating to reflect that we women cannot be prevented from continuing its use without an Act of Parliament. If parents could once be brought to realise the cruel, lifelong wrong which they are doing to their dependent little ones by forcing upon them such pernicious habits, the “Longtube feeder” and the so-called “Comforter” would soon disappear from the Dominion. THE JUDGMENT OF THE INNOCENTS.

Tli© little children whom one see in our streets, and trains constantly sucking at dummies, and who arc doomed to have misshapen jaws, crowded and decayed teeth, and! adenoids, will be quite justified in turning on their parents a few years hence and ankiiig what, right they had t° endow them with cusli a' handicap—why did they not take the trouble to find out how best to bring them up —why did they brand them with deformities and disabilities from which there is iio way of escape afterwards? .

What right have parents to shirk their responsibilities and say: —“If baby cries push a dummy into his mouth and let. us have peace. This fuss about dummies and adenoids is only a fad, and will pass away like other fads.” ■Tlie matter is much too serious to bo dismissed so summarily,-, and it behoves

all parents who wijffhot-.accept, what we put forward .to To'dk'into the'matter and carefully weigh "’what. the greatest authorities—doctors and dentists alike have to say on the subject. Among those qualified to speak there is but one verdict. Those who have not time tor investigating themselves may take on trust our advice to destroy any dummies iii their jiossession at once. JOHN BURNS ON THE DUMMY., The Right Hon John Burns, President of the Local Government Board in the present English Government, speaking on the prevention of consumption, said in a iceent address :

I come to another practical remedy that is the abolition of the “ oomlurter' ” and the “soother.” This is a very serious tiling. ‘‘The bumb, the pistol, and dynamite have killed their scores, fut I believe the “Comforter has killed its tens of thousands of little children. What is more, doctors tell me that it‘subjects the baby s mouth and throat to malformations that disclose themselves in subsequent years. I am told this is—and I believe it is— a special cause or bad teeth. Later on it means impaired digestion and the relation of impaired digestion and consumption is a veiy serious one. I express it as my opinion as a layman that to a great extent the “Comforter” or “Soother ' is responsible in imany cases for adenoids. . ... I would 1 endure the charge of being a bureaucrat * with pleasure and equanimity if with one order I could “make the comforter

a public unisance, and schedule it as a

dangerous instrument. DUMMY ALWAYS HARMFUL—

NEVER BENEFICIAL

No one can pretend that the dummy is beneficial in any way. The most that can b’e said is that it sometimes affords an easy, lazy means of keeping the baby quiet at the moment, instead of finamg out and attending to its real needs. At the Karitane Hospital babies generally come in with dummies; these are at once taken away and destroyed. There may be one or two days at the farthest during which the baby misses the accustomed object and is more or less discontented and fretful, but it scon settles down to regular habits and’ there is no more trouble. Recently an infant was taken to the Ivaritane Baby Hospital with the inevitable dummy—within two days it went quietly to sleep without a murmur and without its coni farter. There is little difficulty in discontinuing its use, even when it has been persisted in for a considerable time. But why use a dummy at all? That is the puzzle. We are told that many nurses carry a comforter with them as part of their equipment, and that the baby has become habituated to its use before the mother has anything to do with it. This is very hard on the mother. She should therefore make a stipulation beforehand that no such thing is to be introduced into her home. The resorting _to a dummy may be regarded as a testimony to the incompetence or laziness of the nurse.

If regular habits with regard to feeding, sleeping, movements of bowels, etc, are started at the dawn of life there will never be any need 1 for artificial soothers. The best and most lasting way of attaining peace and comfort in the home is to train the child in proper healthy habits stnr rr> by stage from the first day. On this subject the mother is advised to read at once the section headed “Forming a -Character” (see “Character rr in Index) In the Society's book.