OUR BABIES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 9 April 1927, Page 17

OUR BABIES.

(By Hygeia.) Published under the auspices of the Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of \\ omen and Children (Piunket Society). THE DUMMY (Continued). Last week we wrote of some of the evils of the dummy habit —a fairly formidable array of charges. However, it may be argued that for all we say oeitain individual babies appear utterly unharmed, and certain other babies are known to nave developed crooked teeth and odenoids in spite ot the fact that they ne\er had a dummy. No one can deny that it may he so, and the answer must be in general terms. It is this way : It is wrong to “imagine that anyone factor alone is to be regarded as the sole cause of Iruiiian degeneracy in any direction whatsoever. 3 ’

The best possible health and vigour of every part of the body is the result of many factors acting together, starting with the baby’s inheritance, going on through the vastly important first nine months of his life before birth, to the care and treatment he receives during infancy and childhood. “Good, pure blood is essential for the formation of a. sound brain and nervous system. But there cannot be good pure blood without suitable food and good feeding methods, abundance of fresh air and sunlight, adequate exercise, play, mothering, rest, and sleep.” It is not suggested that the dummy is the actual cause of adenoids, but from what has already been said it must be clear that it predisposes to and tends to cause the condition. “From many years of study, experience, and observation, it has been proved bevond doubt that (apart from a lack of vitality and vigour which may be present at birth) the most important cause of adenoids is failure ta breast-feed the baby, coupled with the use of the dummy. The main stimulant for the good development and growth of the mouth, throat, nose and airway is an adequate blood supply to these parts.” The exercise of vigorous sucking tends to make the tongue strong, broad, and well developed. Natural suckling at the breast ensures the best possible “jaw work.” Bottle feeding, on the other hand, as it is too often managed, means inedequate exercise m this respect, because the baby obtains his food easily through a large hole in a rubber teat This combined with constant lazy sucking at a dummy (with the effects we have already described on the jaws and roof of the mouth), tends to make the tongue narrow and poorly developed, a hard worked strong full tongue moulds the roof of the mouth jaws and nose on broad lines, 'lnis in turn ensures capacious highways for air and plenty of room for teeth--- the /best- possible basis for ipei(fectly healthy tissues, in which either adenoids nor the germs of colds, etc., are likeiv to develop. Later on, when the baby comes to the stage of mixed foods, ‘ ‘pap feeding” is the most fruitful cause of abnormalities of the jaw, teeth, and airways, because it again provides no adequate exercise for jaws and teeth. Give baby his natural food. no dummy: from nine months onwards the maximum amount of hard food, and fresh air to breathe day and. night, and you will be doing your best to prevent adenoids and bad teeth., as well as many other ills. To l the mother who says, \\ell, tne dummy has not done any harm to my baby”'all we can say is that he would have been better still if no dummy had been used and that for one baby where she can see no actual damage there are a dozen where the evil effects would bo obvious even to herself it they were pointed out by an experienced person. Is it reasonable to peisist in a wrong course until actual definite harm can be seen? Parents are strongly recommended to read “Feeding and Care of Baby,” from, page 124 onwards, on this subject . BREAKING BABY OF THE HABIT. If the habit is to be, broken, the main thing is real conviction and determination on the .part of the mother and all concerned Babies are extraordinary sensitive to “atmosphere.” At the Karitane Hospitals many babies are admitted with dummies. But they are promptly disposed of, and in a remarkably short timcj the baby settles down to be a happier, more contented little fellow than ever before without his false friend the dummy. He knows there is no wavering in the minds of those who are caring for him, and most babies instinctively aviod wasting effort on useless endeavour. So have courage ! If you are determined to break your baby of this, bad habit you will accomplish, your aim—and it- really is worth while. Burn the dummy, and let no one go out and buy another one, and rally the household round to stand by and help for the sake of the ultimate happiness and good of his Majesty the Baby.