OUR BABIES.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12253, 1 June 1914, Page 1

OUR BABIES.

PREVALENCE OF THE DUMMY

(Continued.) LACK OF LOGIC

Last week our article concluded with ■ : khe following paragraph, which I repeat for the sake of continuity:— "It is-one of the amazing points of view that mothers arc quite prepared to persist in a wrong course, until they can see actual definite harm, which by that time is more c-r less irreparable. Women constantly and-such a child who had a dummy, and his teeth are all Tight." Thej; dont realise that the chili's-jaws, teeth, and digestion would have been stilh better had no dummy been used, and that tor one case where they can see no damage, -there would ho a cloven where the evil effects would bo clear to them if pointed out." , The fact is that defective jaws, teetu, and digestion are PREDISPOSED TO by weakness of the mother and by artificial feeding as well as by neglect of any ol the factors making for good health, such as fresh air, exercise regidarjty. etc.; but the more IMMEDIAIE EXCITING CAUSES of mouth and teeth j defects and adenoids are the use or the du'minv the long-tube feeder, and subsequent/ pap-feeding. If the last three were avoided, and reasonable care were exercised bv mothers with regard to the hygiene of '■ themselves and their oit-spriii-'V we should hear little more about bad teeth and adenoids, which are ••causihrr'snch universal alarm throughout the civilsed world to-day. It is not suggested that because a particular child used -the dummy therefore it must show characteristic deformities of mouth, teeth, etc,; but that the great majority of children so treated do show such defects; and these will be aggravated bv neglect of care.and attention m regard to any of the factors making for health. The-'most deplorable cases are seen where all the adverse factors mentioned are brought to bear in the case or a particular child who has been delicate at birth; whereas a child exceptionally robust 'at birth, 'subjected to only one harmful influence—say, for .instance, the use of the dummy—may escape not really "scot'free." but to outward appearance undamaged, and actually more nor-mal than the average child of civilisation. , , . ~ , . To return to the baby m the train, about whom I wrote last week. . \\ e told the mother about the. evils arising from the use of the comforter, but 1 i fear our counsels fell on deaf ears, as ! the' dummv was frequently popped into iris- mouth" even when there seemed no excuse whatever for doing so.. 1 recently <th- little man got down on to the floor 'and' creot along the passage way, which had been trodden and re-trodden bv passengers going from carnage to carriage, the dummy, of course, sweeping alone: the floor. After this exeur- - sion the abomination found its way into his mouth as usual. •• , Here is an example of a. devoted mother who has heard something in. a t ra"-ue wav about the evils which arise • from the- "use of the dummy, and yet who evidently did not consider the matter of sufficient importance to cause her to inquire further. . „ Tp connection with the rearing or chi'drcri. the dummy is everywhere recognised bv the leading dactors and dentists as one of the greatest evils of the day: and it is humiliating to reflect that we women cannot he prevented, from continuing its use without an Act ot Parliament. If parents could only be brought to realise the cruel, lifelong wrong which they are doing.to then dependent little ones by forcing upon them such pernicious habits, the ''Longtube feeder" and the so-called Gom- . forter'; would soon disappear from the Dominion. JOHN BURNS ON THE DUMMY. I The Right Hon. John Burns, speab- | ing on the prevention of consumption, said: — "I come to another practical remedy—that is, the .abolition pt the ' Comforter > and the ' Soother.' This Is a very.serious thing. The bomb the nistol, and dynamite have killed their scores, hut I believe the Oom- . forter' has" killed its tens ot thousands of little 1 children. What is more, doctors tell me that it subjects apart from contagion, the baby s mouth and throat to malformations that disclose themselves in subsequent years. I am told this is-and I believe it is—a special cause of bad teeth. Later on it- means impaired digestion, and the relationship, of impaired digestion and consumption is a very serious one. I express it as my opinion as a- layman that to a great extent the Comforter or Soother is resnonsible in many cases for Adenoids . . ."1 .would endure the j charge of being a bureaucrat with pleasure audi equanimity if with one. I order I could make the Comforter a public nuisance, and schedule it as a. dangerous instrument," DUMMY ALWAYS HARMFUL—- . ' NEVER. BENEFICIAL. No one' can pretend that the dummy is beneficial in any way. The most that can be- said is that it sometimes affords an easy, lazy means of keeping the baby quiet at the moment, instead of finding out and attending to ifcs real needs." At the Karitanc Hospital babies "-enerally come in with dummies; these are 'at once taken away and destroyed. There mav be one or two days at. the farthest during which the baby misses the accustomed object; but it soon settles down to regular habits and there is no more trouble. Last Saturday night a baby was taken to the hospital with I the inevitable dummy—to-night (Monday it went quietly to sleep without a murmur and without its comforter. There is little difficulty in discontinuing its use, even when it has been persisted in for a considerable time. But why use a dummy at all.'' a. hat is the puzzle. It certainly does not improve the appearance of a. baby to see such a contrivance projecting from its mouth!

We are told tliat many nurses carry a comforter with them as part of their equipment, and that the baby has become habituated to its use befo"re the mother has anything to do with it. This is very hard on the mother. She should therefore make a stipulation beforehand that-no such thins; is to be introduced into her home. . The .xx.se of a dummy may be regarded as a- testimony to the incompetence or'laziness of the nurse. If regular habits with regard to feeding, sleeoingj movements of-bowels, etc... -nr* started at the dawn of life, there will never: be any need tor -artiliciai soothers. . , The best and most lasting way or attaining peace and comfort in the home is to train the child in proper healthy habits.'stage by stage, from the first day; ..