FOR BETTER BABIES

NZ Truth, Issue 1229, 20 June 1929, Page 20

FOR BETTER BABIES

Af Perfect; Under ' ;-: <M Yoiir CMM MBMMI: AND ' NORMALITY *'} >i 7: 7, J -'If- ■:. ■:■..".■■ ".:'.;• . — '■• ■-.'.".' "- .-. •■.''-..' • ' ' (Plunket Society Articles — No.' 4) The normal child is one with whom most of us are happily familiar. . To the Vmothers, the question . of normality is of V vital importance; toTthe Plunket Society it is a starting point m this g^ftefation, and a goal for the next.

FORTUNATELY, the majority of New Zealand ; childx*en are healthy and ','Jfiap'py,;'DUt we are far from realis-ing.-iiie: ideal ot normal "childhood . for allH : ;, 5 V "7 •■'• 7;v" "V _. ' "V. 7 Th^normal baby, is no stranger to us-rrwe meet him. daily m ever-chang-ing; moods and stages. Attempt to "give a bHSfV" description^ of him, however,'' and,.pne. finds.him hard to define^ so perhaps a. brief inspection of this complex and wonderful little individual may help us to a better •understanding of himjand: his needs. , Tftfi^jibrmal child!; is the Jdeal child v frojji the point of; view of parents, . doctors^ teachers and the community as JJ, wnole. He is one .whose nutritionthat is, he possesses a.ibund . hervoiis' system and' ;a, sduhd- body. 8 physical, nien.tal; and, moral qualities are developing- steadilyand r evenly; his food for the first nihe 'months after ■ birth is ideal. ;v lij^fieight ' aVd " weiglit are\ correct.

henceforth the highroad to 'ife slowly and steadily unfolds before his wondering- eyes. About the sixth week he really smiles a true, responsive smile. By the eighth week he knows his mother. During the fourth month he asserts his own little will and holds his head up. Laugh' and crow, shout and grow, is inscribed on the fifth - month milestone. A good, honest scale hangs on the next, and baby Should have doubled his birth, weight m the. sixth month. Soon after this he may have two sharp, little teeth. He realises that his hands and: feet 'are part- of 'himself arid will t)bey his wishes./ -, He delights m noisily crumpling, banging or knocking things about. ■ ' .._--■■.• .-."■■'' '-'7 , In the eighth or ninth month' he usually sits, erect, and, the working partnership between mind and body steadily improves. Very soon baby

tal3ni£>irito con- >; sidjeratipn r family ., anaVjJi'a^lal'' char.ac-;:' te^ysrtlcs: ."his mils- . clasraije- firm and ,'- --in I ; good tone •;;■ the'ijeol'ls 'a mod- '

eratj^aindiint of. ..fat; the, eyes are dryTapd clear; the hair smooth .and glrissv;-. the skin . te'Sbft and without erupuoris and thje hearing arid breathingp'i&e clear. . YAA '77.v7 ■ - ;. < .~A back a'ndvlllmbs' straight arid, str^opg,. the abdomiSn. spft and not distended; the teetlv^beglriVto. erupt^ahout thej-'.seyenth marked gen|raiyu'pset.7' v 777777 "'• ."■• :; : V; ' '"A SSch^babies ar .©{ selditri ' ill, andY if so, thsy .very quickjfy and ■ completely re-' coy ? OT£Vi' They \ hayeVa, general ';'. appear 7 anc&lpCf happiness; 'yitality ' arid, elas-tlclfyc-oharacteristic of h eal thy children. "Lira has been likened' to ,.a highway;''its Intervals measured .:• by milestones, 'a source of interest and . ... . incentive. to the traveller. _'•-.' : : '"A. ;.V..7; BabVjjof course, is blissfully uriaware thatwe older pilgrims assemble with him at the starting point and eagerly watch hirii pass his monthly arid, later, his . milestones . of. physical, merital arid moral: progress. .7, The 'riorfnal body pf good nutrition should pass each milestone on time, though rib twp babies are alike. ■'... ' Bjc,i*he end of the first month a baby's sense -of smell and taste are sufficiently developed to enable him to distinguish new taste and if not already used to water he may refuse it. His brajin begins to respond to mess-iges received by~"Teuc'n,'" sight; and ; hearing, .and

pen." He pulls himself up and soon stands alone. The first anniversary is a great day, and once again the scales play a prominent part. - Has baby trebled his birth weight? Has; he - six 7teeth?.v.. Can, he .say single ;. words? 7 . : By the fifteenth month he usually walks alone, and 7 commences a new era of experience. ..... On his second .birthday he should be able; to. walk quite well; he should have 16 teeth and the "soft spot" m his head should have been .closed several months. .7 / ...-.'. ■,',.-.. . After the first year the wonderful growth impulse slows down—fortunately for the one who does the sewing; During the second year the gain m weight is six to seven pounds, only about half the gain m the first year: ...•*lri the third and fourth years it is halved again t6 three or f pur pounds. The growth'^' m height ls : about nine inches m the first year, and four inches m the second, thus easing off SQihe-r what m proportion to the slackening of gain m weight. But why is baby normal? Is it by accident that he possesses all these qualities? Is he just one of the lucky ones? The conclusion of this little talk will be given next week. ''"'■

Baby's Milestones

extends his explorations by creeping and the wi st mother ; congratulates herself thai he is already usee to his "kicking