OUR BABIES

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume LX, Issue LX, 19 December 1913, Page 4

OUR BABIES

By Hygeia,

Published under the auspices of the Society for the Health of Women and Children. '

"It is wiser to put up a fence at the top of a precipice than to maintain an ambulance at the bottom."

Bathing And Exercise,

Dealing with the bathing of the infant, Professor Rotch says:— The question of the bath is of a good denl of importance in the early months of life. Unless there is some definite contra-indication, an infunt should be bathed every morning. The contra-in-dications are if the skin or nails turn t>lue, or if the infant seems in any way to show symptoms of weakness or lowered vitality after bathing, such as are represented by cold extremities and nose, or an unusually quickened respiration. In these casfs sponging, merely sufficient for cleanliness, is to be substituted for the bath. The bathing should be done with celerity, the tub being placed on the side of the fireplace opposite from the window, and facing the latter, so as to avoid draught and ensure good light. The nurse should sit with her face towards the light, and have the infant en her lap, wrapped up in a warm blanket, with its feet towards the fireplace and its nead in Buch a position as regards? the window as to avoid having too much light on the eyes. There should be a rack for the towels, which should be kept warm in front of the fire while the infant is being bathed. The clothes in like maoner be neatly spread out on another rack, ready to be put on as soon as the infant has been dried. Temperature of Bath.

The water should vary in its temperature somewhat with the age of the infant, but should never be so cold as to cause blueness or cold extremities. We must also be careful not to have the water too hot, as this has sometimes proved to be injurious. Each infant , however, must have the temperature of its bath adapted to its own vitality. A convenient bath thermometer iB one which is guarded from breaking by a wooden frqrne, which also allows it to float in the water, and the n"r"e is thus enabled to see at a glance that the bath water is of the right heat. The temperature recommended for the bath during the first few months of lifejs 98deg to lOOdeg, and then a gradual reduction, until at a year old it may be given at 90deg. With the average baby it is better to maintain the temperaturfi of the bath at 98 until the baby is a year old, because a tepid bath is enervating, and liable to leave thn child chilly. At a year old, or earlier, if a baby is robust and active, it is a good plan to wipe or douche the surface with « rubber sponge or cloth, commencing with water at between 70 deg and 80 deg, and reducing the h<iat by a degree every day or so until a temperature of between 50deg and 60 deg. is reached. This should be commenced while the baby is sitting in the warm hath; next, the lower limbs can be quickly dealt with, thus securing a active, healthy, stimulation of the whole surface.

Gymnastics of the Involuntary Muscular System.

The change from stimulation by heat to stimulation by cold is very healthful, and promotes not only the activity but the growth of organs. Indeed the Btimulation, effected by such bathing has been happily described by an American physician ao the special "gymnastics of the voluntary muscular system"—in other words, the training of the multitude of muscles which supply motor power to the whole vitßl machinery, and regulate the giving off or conservation of heat according to the requirements of the organism. The effect of keeping these muscles in good form its very striking, and it will be found in the case of babies just as of fdults, that we can gradually harden the organism until it becomes very robust and resistive of chills and colds. Warning. } On the other hand, nothing is more Wrong than the atlempt to harden children suddenly, or if they do not show a proper healthy reaction after the UFe of cold water. At first cooling should be quite momentary, EhouJd be limited to a small part of the body, and should be lollowed always by very rapid drying fird ciressirg. When]

child can run about actively, a transition may gradually be made to the cold plunge bath, which healthy children can be trained to enjoy at from, 18 months or two years of age. Never duwdle, and nsver omit active exercise for at least a quarter of an hour afterwards, to enßure perfect reaction and warmth. Exercise in General.

Regarding exercise in geDeral, Professor Holt, says This is no less important in infancy than in latter childhood. An infant gets its exercise in the lusty cry which follows the cool sponge of the bath,, in kicking its legs about, waving its arjms etc. By these means lung expansion and muscular development are increa sed,'and ths general nutrition promoted. An infant's clothing Bhould be such as not to interfere with the child's exercise. Confinement of the legs should not be permitted. I have often had a chance to observe the bad results which follow when very young infants are allowed to be in their cribs nearly all the time. Little by little the vi,tal processes flag, the cry becomes feeble, tho weight is first then there is a steady loss. The appetite fails, so that food is at first taken without relish, then at times altogether refused : later vomiting ensues, and other symptoms of indigestion. This, in many cases, is the beginning of a steady downward course, which goes on until a condition of hopeless marasmus is reached. Such infants must ,be takeif up avery few hours and carried about; the position should be frequently changed, and general friction of the entire body employed at least 'twice a day. Every means must be made use of to stimulate the vital activity. The value of systematic attention to these •matters cannot be overestimated. Infants who are old enough to creep or stand usually take sufficient exercise unless. the;yjare restrained.. ..At this age they should be allowed to do what they are-eager to do. Every facility should be afforded by using their muscles.'l Exercise may be encouraged by placing upon a floorin a warm room a mattresß and allowing the infant to roll and tumble"upon it at will. A bed may answer the same purpose. A nursery fence 2ft high, made to surround a mattress, is an excellent-device, and makes a convenient nox-stall for the young animal, where it can learn,to use both its arms and legs without; danger of injury. Only by exercise such as this do the muscles have an opportunity to develop When speaking of the evil effects of allowing infants to lie too much in their cribs. Professor Holt refers to what he has seen in institutions where a number of babies are kept. Indeed, it is a matter of general observation by all authorities that in so-cal-led homes tend to suffer as described, whereas the babies in a normal family tend to have a fair share of handling and change of position, and are benefitted accordingly.