OUR BABIES

Grey River Argus, 6 September 1939, Page 10

OUR BABIES

(By Hygeia). Published under: the auspices or the Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Women and Children (Plunket Society). ‘‘lt is wiser to put up a fence at the top of a precipice than to maintain an ambulance at (he bottom.”

TEETHING. The Plunket nurses are constantly finding that this is a subject about which parents are apt to make grave mistakes. AU sorts of upsets, includ ing acute or even fatal illnesses, are put down to teething if they happen to occur "any time after the baby has turned six months of age. This is a most erroneous and dangerous belief and has led to many tragedies > . We would warn mothers very seriously against attributing any sort of il'ness to teething, and allowing the trouble to go on unchecked on tnat account. “ITS JUST HIS TEETH." One lias heard this remark too often regarding a child who, for instance, has been going downhill with continued diarrhoea or bronchitis or ear trouble. Babies may, and do, die of pneumonia or other diseases just because medical advice is not obtained in time, the parents buoying themselves up with a false sense of security, believing the trouble to be due only to teething. We have met mothers who are reluctant to allow any treatment for diafthoea, fearing that if the diarrhoea was cured the teething trouble would break out in some other form.

One of the greatest modern authorities on children’s diseases says in discussing the subject of teething: “Teething used to be regarded as a frequent cause of serious and fatal disase. This is a ’dangerous bel’ef, because there is usually associated with it the idea that as teething is a natural process the diseases accompanying it are to be tolerated and not checked, as they would be under other circumstances. Qonsequent'y we have often met with children exhausted with diarrhoea, which has been allowed to go on untreated for weeks, because it was held to be ‘only the teeth.’ The diagnosis of teething as a cause of any-'illness will always be a popular one, because it casts no blame on the parents, as exposure tr cold, improper feeding and rickets are apt to do.” It would be difficult to. put the matter more soundly or more briefly than in this quotation. We would-* not suggest that teething will never upset a baby, but the occasions when teething is really to blame for serious illness are exceedingly rare A NATURAL PROCESS. Tithing is a natural process, and j i n a normal, healthy child it usually, produces little or no general effect?

Certainly half the number of healthy babies show no symptoms of any kind. At the same time, even in normal, healthy babies, teething is sometimes accompanied by more or less distress both locally (in the gums) and generally: it may occasionally produce a tendency or liability to digestive upsets or to disease not present at other times. THE SIGNS OF TEETHING. The symptoms of slight nervous irritation which are commonly seen in normal babies are usually as follows: Some disturbances of sleep, restlessness at night and fretfulness by day, some loss of appetite, increase in quantity of saliva, some tenderness of the gums, and a constant tendency for the child to put the fingers in the mouth. The weight often remains stat'onary for a week or two. Overfeeding or forcing food against the inclination of the child may excite a mild attack of indigestion or diarrhoea. Symptoms actually due to teething and. more severe than these are rare in healthy children, but occasionally the gums are very sore or the temperature may rise above normal for a few days, with a complete loss of rppetite. ' A cold in the head or a cough is more easily contracted than usual, and may be more persistent. Babies with a tendency to eczema often become worse or have a definite outbreak of the rash when each tooth or group of teeth is coming through. Occasionally there may be convlusions before the tooth comes through, but one must always remember . that teething, although it may predispose a child to illness, is not a cause oi illness. If the baby is obviously ill at teething time, get medical advice and proper treatment at once. The cause must be found and treated just as promptly as at any other, time. Delay mav be dangerous. So great an authority on children’s diseases as Dr. Holt, of New York, cons’dered the common- tendency to attribute disease in the baby to teething to be a dangerous delusion.

WHAT TO DO FOR A TEETHING BABY. We repeat that the majority of babies, properly fed, cared for, anu handled, show ' no marked symptoms of indisposition and require no treatment. However, it is equally true that many babies show slight signs of nervous irritation and lowered resistance, and for these a few commonsense precautions will prevent the possibility af any serious trouble or complications. The Food. —Remember that lack of appetite is usually Nature’s warning. It means that the ability to deal with food is lowered. If the warning is regarded, all will be well; if it is disregarded, a serious digestive upset may be caused. Also remember that increase in the number of motions is Nature’s method of getting rid of food material with which the digestion is

temporarily unable to deal, and Is a signal for decrease in the strength of the food. Consequently it is wise to dilute the food for a tew days by taking out a few ounces of milk mixture and substituting boiled water. It is just as well also to boil the m xturSmr five minutes for a few days unless the baby is constipated. If this is the case see that the bowels move properly every day. Give an enema if necessary. Never force food on the child but see that extra drinks o f water and diluted fruit or vegetable juices are given between meals. Even a few sips of water taken frequently may be a great comfort and help to the baby, especially if he is a little feverish.

Warmth and Safeguarding Against ■ Sudden Chilling.—Take extra care I just at this time that baby does not I lie on the outside of his bed in wet nappies, does not get lifted straight ifrom sleep in a warm bed to cold linoleum, and so on. If baby has a cold in the head oi’ a cough it may be advisable to keep him off the floor for 1 a few days. In any case be specialty ' careful about draughts,and chills. At , the same time do not coddle hijpa, and I give him the greatest possible amount of fresh air and sunlight. I The Gums.—lf babv wants to chew ' and suck the gums provide him with 1 a clean bone, ring, or peg to bite on. i It may comfort, him for you to rub ' the gums occasionally with a perfectly ! clean finger. A teaspoonful or tw o of ' cold water may be helpful, but do not I interfere with them in any way without a doctor’s advice. I A WRONG PRACTICE. ! Shun teething powders and sooth- ■ ing syrups of ail kinds. Do not allow | anyone to persuade you to give your i baby patent medicines. They contain drugs, and practice is utterly i wrong and may be dangerous. The I various devices for making teething ■ easy (“teethtin? bands" and necklaces and so forth) are quite useless in themselves —simply charms acting on thte natural superstitiousness and credulity of many people. WHAT EVERY BABY NEEDS. So we come back to the simple, in- • controvertible fact that prevention is I better than cure, and that the way to ' prevent teething troubles is to make and keep the baby healthy and well. I The baby who from the start js pro- : perly fed and cared for, and is regular in all habits, has more than an even chance of going through tne teething period with no upset whatever. indeed, the probability is that the first little teeth will be discovered by accident, already through and ready for use. Any upset if present is likely to be of the slightest, and commonsense treatment will prevent anv serious complications. But if baby is ill at teething time get advice and prompt treatment. Do not think “it’s just his teeth.”