OUR BABIES

Opunake Times, 26 January 1934, Page 3

OUR BABIES

J SUMMER DIARRHOEA (By Hygeia). First, we must see that every baby has the "twelve essentials" in his daily life. We must see that every baby lias what every baby needs. The first two pages of the Society's book, "Feeding and Care of Baby" should be perfectly 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 lor good health chances to got ill, he '•throws off the germs as the bow of an ocean liner throws off the spray' - —he is pretty well germ proof. Secondly, we must specially consider the matter of food. Natural feeding is the great preventive. Professor Budin has shown that' in Paris out of 250 deaths of infants occurring in one mid-sum-mer 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 ol milk. Making and Keeping Milk in Hot Weather.—lt 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., keep-. ing it at a temperature of 155 deg Fahr. for 10 minutes). Whether boiled or pasteurised, the milk must be cooled quickly and at once to well below GOdeg Fahr. if possible. Germs multiply with extreme rapidity in warm milk. Cover the "jug loosely with damp butter-muslin and stand in running or frequently changed cold water. (Xeedless to say, if ice is available the problem is solved).

In the country a running stream or artesian well may be handy, but in town it may be impossible to get tap water below GOdeg Fahr. A pailful of water left outside in the air all night away from the early morning sun will be quite cold for several hours. Select the shadiest, draiightiest, 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.

\Yhen there is any doubt as to whether the milk has remained below GOdeg Fahr. always rescald what is left of the day's supply in the evening, and again cool quickly, and place in the coldest place 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 Plunket

nurses or Karitane Hospitals, but the simplest, easiest available methods suffice in the great majority of cases if carefully carried out. 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 mik may render a whole day's supply of fresh milk poisonous. Vessels which have contained milk should always be washed in cold water first and then in hot water v

soap. Hot water "sets" the milkon the utensil and makes it difficult to remove.

Beware of flies. Keep everythingl under cover. Removed soiled napkins at once and cover. Wash the hands after changing 1 aby before handling him again or his food. Wash the nipples thoroughly before nursing baby. 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. 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 posible, do not wean baby during February or March, especially if the weather is very hot. If weaning cannot be avoided it should be done very 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 instructions of the Plunket nurses. Even one breast feed a day during the hottest weather is better than none, delaying complete weaning until cooler days come. indigestion. Indigestion, due to overfeeding or to unsuitable food or irregular feeding, is the main predisposing cause to diarrhoea, therefore mothers should be eternally vigilant, especially during summer. They should he perfectly regular, anil should give the children nothing unsuitable or likely to disagree, r Unfortunately it' is just during the summer holiday 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 tie usual routine is broken, often with disastrous results. Many a child makes no progress during January or February for this rea"-

sou. The disordered digestion and lowered resistance leave him 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 childleu when travelling' were g-iven 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 any 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 unsuitabe food—calces, sweets, bananas, and other unripe or overripe fruit, etc.