OUR BABIES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 28 November 1938, Page 3

OUR BABIES

TEETHING (BY HYGLIA) Published under the 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.” For the benefit of those who have not | read our preceding notes we repeat the j following warning : “If a baby is obviously ill at teething time get medical j advice and proper treatment at once. 1 Though teething may predispose the child to illness, it is not the cause of illness. The cause must be found and treated at ouce, just as promptly as at any other i time. Delay may be dangerous.’’ So great an aufnority on children’s diseases as Dr. ■ Holt, of New York, considered the coin-1 mon teudeucy to attribute disease in the j baby to leethiug to be a dangerous delusion. WHAT TO DO FOR A TEETHING j BABY We repeat that the majority of babies, properly fed, cared for, and handled, show no marked symptoms of indisposition, and require no treatment. However, it is equally true that many battles ’ show slight signs of nervous irritation j and lowered resistance, and for these a j few commonsense precautions will pie-j vent the possibility of any serious trouble j or complications: The food.—Remember that lack of ap- j petite 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 tliut increase ill the number of motions is Nature’s method of getting rid ut food material with which the digestion is temporarily unable to deal, and is a signal for decrease in the strength of the j food. Consequently it is wise to dilute the j food for a few days by taking out a few j ounces of milk mixture and substituting boiled water. It is just as well also to boil I the mixture for five minutes for a few j days unless the baby is constipated. If I ibis is the case see that the bowels move t properly every day. Give an enema if I necessary. Never force food on the child,! but see that extra drinks of water and di- j luted fruit or vegetable juices are given j between meals. Even a few sips of water; taken frequently may be a great comfort; and help to tile baby, -especially if the j baby is a litle feverish. Warmth and Safeguard ing Against j Sudden Chilling.—Take extra care just j at this time that baby does not lie on the outside of his bed in wet nappies, does not get lifted straight from sleep in a warm bed to cold linoleum, and so on If baby has a cold in the head or a cough it may be advisable to keep him off the Hour for a lew days. In any case be specially careful about draughts and chills. At the same time don’t coddle him, ami* give him the greatest possible amount of fresh air and sunlight. The Gums. —lf babv wants to chew and Buck the gums provide him with a clean hone, ring, or peg to hile on. It may comfort him for you to rub the gums occasionally with a perfectly clean linger. A . teaspoonful or two of cold water may be ! helpful, but do not interfere with them in any way without a doctor's advice. A W rung Practice.—SJiun teething

- ; —;; I = 1 | powders and soothing syrups of all kinds. § ; Do not allow anyone to persuade you to r give your baby patent medicines. They § r contain drugs, and the practice is utterly n wrong, and may be dangerous. The vari- I j ous devices for making teething easy 1 ("teething bands” and necklaces and soil s forth) are quite useless in themselves — | * simply charms acting on the natural sup. 11 ' erstitiousness and credulity of many peo- 1 pie. WHAT EVERY BABY NEEDS j ! * So we come back to the simple, iueon- I trovertible fact that prevention is better I s than cure, and that the way to prevent ' I - teething troubles is to make and keep the ' I s child healthy ami well. The baby who | s from the start is properly fed and cared | - for, and regular in all habits, has more(| i than an even chance of going through | •, the teething period with no upset what- \ § _ ever. Indeed, the probability is that the | f first teeth will be discovered by accident, | already through and ready for use. Any I 1 upjset, if present, is likely to be of the [ l slightest, and coramonsense treatment will | prevent any serious complications. But if baby is ill at teething time, get § advice and prompt treatment. Do not | . think “it’s just his teeth.”