A PLEA FOR THE BABIES.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1182, 26 October 1894, Page 13

A PLEA FOR THE BABIES.

"Dear Aunt Ellen, —Will you kindly allow mo space for a few words on the subject of “ baby comforters," baby’s rattles with dumb tips attached which are given to babies to suck to keep them quiet. They should rather be called “ mother worriers," for a child can form no worse habit than sucking at anything which gives no nourishment. Swiss hospital doctors and nurses affirm that it fatigues the stomach and hurts the digestion. ; Mothers let their babies suck their thumbs or these comforters (?) because it keeps them quiet, but only to make it more fractious afterwards and give trouble with its teeth or digestion many a weary hour. Let any mother who lias tried both systems judge between them as Ihave done. My baby which sucked its thumb had and gave me more trouble with its teeth than all the others put together, four to one. One’s own common sense should tell us it is hurtful. Try sucking a tip like your baby does, oh mother, and see how you feel at the end of a week. A child does not cry for nothing ; find out what is the matter and remedy it, but this bad habit is perhaps worse than the crying.— I am, &c., M.P.Y.