OUR BABIES

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 280, 27 October 1931, Page 12

OUR BABIES

(By Hygela.) Published under tne auspices of the Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Women and Children (Plunket Society). “It is wiser to put up a fence at the top of a precipice than to maintain an ambulance at the bottom.” MOTHERCRAFT. There is no strange doctrine, no mystery, and nothing involved in the teaching of the Plunket Society. Simplicity is the keynote; the basic idea is that of obedience to the universal laws governing nutrition and growth. The idea is not new, of course. Very great minds all through the ages have preached the same essential doctrine. As Oliver Wendell Holmes said when addressing a medical meeting in 1860: “In this ‘Naturetrusting heresy’ of mine I am pleased to find myself in accord and association with Hippocrates, the father of the healing art, and Florence Nightingale, its latest great exponent.” The poet Milton wrote: Accuse not Nature. She hath done her part; Do thou but thine. The effrontery with which man has set aside natural laws, evolved through countless centuries, is simply colossal. But we pay the price. The hope of the future lies in the present awakening to the necessity of following Nature’s lead, working in harmony, instead of discord, with natural forces. Sun and air, natural food, exercise and rest—these are the fundamental essentials for all living tilings; and if we are to have happy homes m the present and good health and efficiency in the future parents must know these things. This is the guiding principle of the work of the Plunket Society in two words, education in ‘■‘mothercraft.” Mothereraft is a word to conjure with. If it is not allowed to become vague and shadowy it serves a very useful purpose in reminding us that “mothering” must be learnt, like anv other “craft.” What an extraordinary thing it is that girls are still trained for almost every profession and occupation under the sun except the most important of all! profession, public or private, can match it. Motkerliood may not bring women before the public gaze as other outlets for their energies may do, but, as & r Trubv King constantly stresses, the mother is (or should be) the competent executive officer in the rearing and nurture of her children, and y mother who fulfils, these duties well has played her part in the public health service of "tlio country. _ . In the words of Dr. C. E. Saleeby. a great idealist and worker in the cause of mother and child: “Because the human mother is human her forte is not instinct, but intelligence Instinct in the animals, though pe:rfect with n limits, is sharply limited, .^d cannot learn. Intelligence is unlimit ed infinite 'and can learn to 6 & .ton Mjd. ’ “S an overture to ‘The Master Singers The human infant remains helpless for a longer period than any other living creature How stupid and liow cruel it is that we should, allow the helpless baby to be the subject of expeiiment make it the material on which the mother learns the job she shouid have learnt before, with the nsk of ing” it, or worse, in the process. 1 he time will surely come when we shall look back with amazement on a school curriculum for girls so crowded tl at no time could be spared for teaching on the rudiments of child caic. lhe term “mothereraft” implies the simple science of the art of good mothering—the essentials in regard to feeding and environment for the child—tho hygieno of body and mind. We still shy at the word “science,”, but science really means simplification —is just crystallised common sense. . , , Neve Zealand mothers are indeed the best informed in the world in re gar c to care of babies—as well they should, seeing that for many years they have had unique facilities at their disposal in the form of uniform authoritative teaching available to all. That the> have availed themselves of it is nell shown in the comparative infantile mortality statistics of our own and other countries. To-day New Zealand mothers loso only just over one baby in IUU between tho ages of one and 12 months less than a quarter the number lost in the last generation of mothers whilst English mothers lost nearly five tames as many and our Australian sisters about twice as many. One specially mentions the period from one. to U months because this is the period during which tho mother really has charge of her baby herself, and it is in this period that tho systematic mothercraft” campaign earned on in New Zealand has so triumphantly been justified by results. But far more will b achieved when it is generally realised that after the birth of tho baby is really too late to start, though, of course, it is never too late to learn. At the ante-natal clinics conducted bv the Plunket Society ns well as by other organisations and from any Plunket nurses and many others the prospective mother may learn the beinning of this most fascinating study. One would urgo every mother to prepare horsolf beforehand not only for the birth of the baby, but in the matter of “mothereraft” generally. KnowledKO applied in time would prevent the great majority of early weanmgs and many tragedies. A great French doctor has pointed out that premature separation of mother and child by early, weanimr or by premature birth is the greatest cause of infant death. But the ideal scheme of mothereraft commences earlier even than this—with the girls in their teens, the potential mothers of the next generation—thus providing education and supervision over the whole cycle from the expectant mother +r, the infant and the pre-school child, and thus to the schoolgirl and so to the mother again. . Perhaps our readers may be interested to hear a little of the mothercraft work carried out at the mothers cottages run in connection with the six Karitane Hospitals. The work is designed to demonstrate and teach the art of correct mothering to young and inexperienced mothers, and also to serve the needs of mothers with ailing breast-fed babies, who for one reason or another are not doing well. The mother whose milk supply has failed or is failing may come in for treatment, which in the great majority of cases results in complete or partial restoration of the supply in a short time. In many cases natural feeding is re-established after days or even weeks of complete weaning. Mothers and babies can also be admitted for 24 hours’ observation and test weighing in order to ascertain just how much milk the baby is getting from the breast, with a view to accurate adjustment and correct advice. Tire nurses in charge of the Mothercraft Homes have had wide experience in the management of difficulties connected with natural feeding, and are skilful and understanding. It is their aim to make the mother feel “at home” —that she and her baby are being considered as individuals with individual problems for solution, not “cases” in for treatment. All the homes are very, simply equipped, but are comfortable and restful, beautifully situated, with sunny verandahs,

gardens, and having in some cases wonderful views. The second fortnight or so of a baby’s life is apt to be a little critical, especially in the case of a first baby. The mother, perhaps young and unexperienced, is apt to find herself unexpectedly weak, nervous and easily upset when she returns from the nursing home or is left by her nurse. Unskilled in the management of the baby, possibly harassed by conflicting advice from her wellmeaning friends and relations, and worried by the baby crying, s * le n ??^ r lose her milk or overfeed under the impression that the baby is hungry. In a very short time this sort of thing can cause tho radiant young mother to become anxious, nervy and exhausted, and transform the beautiful, healthy, breast-fed baby into an ailing bottlefed. This, no doubt, is citing an extreme case, but in some form or degree the story is all too common and all too true. The mistakes are not due to carelessness, but to lack of knowledge. Only knowledge, promptly applied, can correct the results and prevent recurrences. Tho Plunket nurse can do much to help, but tho mother may be badly handicapped by her home circumstances, and here a short stay in a mothercraft home may be of the very greatest service. The mother may dread leaving home, but once she has taken the plunge, what a tremendous relief it is to hand over the responsibility of tho baby to skilled, experienced people—how restful it is to know that there will bo no crying baby to disturb the night’s sleep. A few days or a week or so of this lightening or mental and physical burdens works woinders, as many, many parents would testify. Better still is a short stay at a mothercraft home directly after leaving maternity hospital, so that the mother may learn to .manage her new baby, gain confidence in her power to feed him fully, and know that he is gaining weight as ho should and sleeping all night before she returns to take up the full routine of home and baby. The lessons learnt in this way are of incalculable benefit to both parents and baby, and tho saving in worry, nerve strain and possible unhappiness can scarcely bo estimated. The care of premature babies is another important part of the work of the mothercraft homes. These tiny mites can be admitted within a few hours or days of birth, the mother coming in later in order that natural feeding may be established.