OUR BABIES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 18 June 1926, Page 8

OUR BABIES

BY HYGEIA Published under the auspices of the Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Women and Children (Tluiiket Society). "It is wiser to put up a fence at the top of a precipice than to maintain an ambulance at the bottom." WHAT EVERY BABY NEEDS WHETHER WELL OR ILL Every mother wishes to do the best she can for her baby, but I hero are many mothers who are not quite sure 'justr what should he done and attended to every day of the baby'i; life, to ensure .that he has all the essentials which will enable him to grow up strung, active, and healthy. We cannot help these mothers belter than l>y quoting what arc commonly known as the "Twelve Essentials" from Sir Truby King's book "Feeding and Care of Baby." Every baby must have air, water, food, clotXng, bathing, muscular ■exercise, and sensory stimulation, warmth, regularity of all habits, cleanliness, mothering, management, rest and sleep. AIR 'Pure air and sunshine by day and pure, air by night is every baby's birthright. They are both very cheap, but the baby is often prevented from benefiting by these free gifts through the ignorance of the parents. There should be an abundance of pure, cool outside air JlowJng fresh and free day and night through the room in which baby sleeps. Ventilation means a. current across a room, ,which cannot be got by a mere open window. Do not place the cot in a direct draught. A screen mav be used if necessary. During the daytime baby should be outside as much as possible. WATER This • must be boiled 'before being given to the baby to drink. Bathing water should also be "boiled •if of doubtful puritv. FOOD ; .-The best and only perfect food is mother's milk. Failing this, the best Substitute is cow's milk modified to suit i baby, or "humanised milk." No other

food should be given for the. first, nine months. In sickness it may be necessary to stop, dilute, or change the food for the time, being. Feed baby regularly giving nothing but. boiled water (or a. little orange, juice, if ha.by is fed arli ficially) between the regular feedings. Shun patent foods, condensed milk, and CLOTHING ; i This mutt be non-irritating, non-con-strictive. light, hut sufficiently warm. • Clothe, baby according to the temperature of the day, not according to the. date on the calendar." Do not. make sudden changes in the number of thick- / newses of-the baby's clothes. i I BATHING Choopn a cosy corner. Bath and dress quickly, without dawdling. (Sec pages 6.7 and 80 "Feeding and Care of Baby." If baby is ill or very delicate, forego I lie bath lor a day or so, and substitute wiping rapidly with, a cloth wrung cut of warm water. When baby is about six months, cool sponging may be begun. The temperature of the water for this sponging'should be gradually lowered until the child becomes used to cola water. Tins sponging should (alee place immediately after the warm bath. j : MUSCULAR EXERCISE AND j SENSORY STIMULATION j Handle baby judiciously. Change his position in his cot. Lei him lie naked from the waist down in some sunny spot for a quarter of an hour or so, tak- i nig care that he does not get chilled, j Plenty of outing in the sunlight is es-i sctitial. ! WARMTH i

Warmed air and surroundings are essential for prematures, and may be needed for a- week or more when getting coddled babies into healthier habits. Diarrhoea, and colds are often due to cold feet and legs, and may bo cured by j attention to this and other essentials, j Babies, like adults, benefit enormously by being kept in pure, cool air, if properly clad. (See page 84.) REGULARITY OF ALL HABITS " !■ Regularity of feeding, with proper | intervals, and no food between meals. i Regularity of exercise, outing, sleep, j etc. . ' |

Regularity of action of the bowels. Do not let. 10 o'clock in the (morning pass without making baby's bowels move if thev have. not. moved in the previous 24 hours. CLEANLINESS Cleanliness mint lie exercised in everything, especially with regard to food and feeding utensils. Hands which have come in contact with soiled, napkins must bo well waelied before again handling of baby a.ie essential for his best growth and development, but do not pick baby up unnecessarily to be "shown off."' MANAGEMENT Fond and Foolish over-indulgence, mismanagement, and ''spoiling" may lie as harmful to an infant as callous neglect or intentional crucify. The "ean't-be-:-(.'■cruel ' mother or nurse who will not bring herself to wake -the. baby a few times, if needed, in order to establish once for ail regular feeding habits, or wlnt weakly gratifies every whim of herself and her child rather than allow either to suffer temporary discomfort for 'he .sake of permanent health and happiness, is really cruel, not kind. To savo a lusty, honest cry she wili pacify an infant with a "comforter." or with food given at wrong limes, and may thus ruin the child in the first month of life, making him a delicate, fretful, irritable, nervous, dyspeptic little tyrant, who will yell or scream day and night if not soothed and comforted without dclav. REST AND SLEEP A baby needs abundance of .sleep. A newly-born bauy normally sleeps ninclenths of its' time. At six months it should sleep two-thirds of the time. Remember to turn baby in his col, and remove, wet napkins, cold bottles, etc.