OUR BABIES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22778, 14 January 1936, Page 16

OUR BABIES

By Hygeia. Published under the ausplc«s of the Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Women and Children (Plunkct Society). "It is wiser to put up a fence at the top of a precipice than to main, tain on ambulance at the bottom.”' SUMMER DIARRHCEA. WHAT CAN WE DO TO PREVENT IT ? The Twelve Essentials. First, we must see that every baby has “ the 12 essentials ” in his daily life. We must see that every baby has what every baby needs. The first two pages of the society’s book “Feeding and Oare of Baby ” should be familiar to every mother in the land. If the baby who has lived in fresh air, been naturally fed, trained in regular habits, and has received all the other essentials for good health chances to get ill he “throws off the germs as the bow of an ocean liner throws off the spray ” —he is pretty well germ-proof.

Artificial Food : Keep Milk Cool. Secondly, we must specially consider the matter of food. Natural feeding; is the great preventive. Professor Budinlias shown that in Paris out of 250 deaths of infants occurring in one midsummer week less than 30 were breast-fed babies. As we have said, humanised milk is the best substitute, but in hot weather special precautions are necessary in the preparation and keeping of milk. It may be best to bring the baby’s milk to the boil, and keep it about that temperature for about 10 minutes instead of only pasteurising it (i.e., keeping it at a temperature of 155 deg Falir, for 10 minutes). Whether boiled or pasteurised, the milk must be cooled quickly and at once to well below 60deg Fr.hr. if possible. Germs multiply with extreme rapidity in warm milk. Cover the jug loosely with damp butter muslin and stand in running or frequeptly changed cold water. (Needless to say, if ice is available the problem is solved.) In the country a running stream or artesian well may be handy, but in the towns it may be impossible to get tap waten below 60deg Falir. A pailful of water left outside in the air all night away from the early, morning sun will be quite cold for some hours. Select the shadiest, draughtiest, cleanest place for the milk safe, and stand the jug of cooled milk in a shallow dish of the coldest water available in the safe. Be sure the damp muslin dips into the water all round, so that it will keep damp and so cool by evaporation. This method always ensures some cooling, especially in hot dry weather.

When there is any doubt as to whether the milk has remained below COdeg Fahr. always rescald what is left of the day’s supply in the evening, and again cool quickly and place in the coolest place again available for the night.

Naturally, if it is possible to obtain fresh milk twice daily, it is best to make the humanised milk morning and evening.

There are various kinds of safes and coolers, details of which may be obtained from the Blanket, nurse or Karitane Hospitals, but the simple, easily available methods suffice in the great majority of cases if carefully carried out. Cleanliness. Thirdly, extra special care must be taken with regard to cleanliness during hot weather. Billies, jugs, bottles, and teats must be washed absolutely free of all traces of stale milk. An almost invisible amount of stale milk may render a whole day’s supply of fresh milk poisonous. Vessels which have contained milk should always he washed in cold water

first and then in hot water and soap. Hot -water “sets the milk” on the utensil and makes it difficult to remove. Beware of flies. Keep everything under cover. Remove soiled napkins at once and cover. Wash the hands after changing baby before handling him again or his food. Wash the nipples thoroughly before nursing baby. Regularity. Fourthly, be extra careful to ensure regularity of the bowels, and see that baby has freedom of movement in the open air as much as possible. Let him be out of doors practically all day, and all night too if it can be arranged, but avoid overheating him. Do Not Worry. Lastly, do not worry about baby, but be ever on the watch for warning symptoms of trouble, and be ready to take prompt measures;. WEANING. If possible do not wean baby during February or March, especially if the weather is very hot. If weaning cannot be avoided, it should be done gradually with great care in the preparation and diluting of the artificial food, which should be humanised milk made and graded according to the directions in “ Feeding and Care of Baby ” or the instruction of the Plunket nurses. Even one breast feed a day during the hottest weather is better than none, delaying the complete weaning until cooler days come. INDIGESTION. Indigestion due to overfeeding or to unsuitable food or irregular feeding is the main predisposing cause of diarrhoea. Therefore mothers should be ever vigilant, especially during tbe summer. They should be perfectly regular with meal times, and should give the children nothing unsuitable or likely to disagree. Unfortunately it is just during the holiday summer months, the warmest time of the year, that the feeding of both babies and older children tends to become irregular and unsuitable. When travelling or away from home the usual routine is broken, often with disastrous results. Many a child makes no progress during January or February for this reason. The disordered digestion and lowered resistance leave him an easy prey for any infection —ripe for an attack of diarrhoea. He may not die, and he may completely recover, but at least his progress will be checked, perhaps for months, and there is grave risk of life-long damage.

Some hints on food for children when travelling were given in these columns a few weeks ago. When away from home make every effort to secure good, fresh milk. Always boil it before use for the first few days, and continue to do so if there is auy doubt as to the freshness of the supply. Spare no pains to keep all feeding utensils scrupulously clean. For older children beware of “ pieces ” of unsuitable food—cakes, sweets, bananas, and other unripe or overripe fruit.

Next week we shall go into the simple treatment of a threatened attack of diarrhoea.