THE KARITANE HOME.

Otago Witness, Issue 2882, 16 June 1909, Page 66

THE KARITANE HOME.

j i PROPOSED GUILD OF VOLUNTEERS. ' Dealing with the question -of the administration of the Home at the last meeting 1 , of the Society for the Promotion of Health of Women and Children Dr Truby King spoke very, highly *of the staff and of the excellence of the work it was doing. He said that in one sense the progress of. the babies was all that could be desired. They got rid of their ailments, fhey were growing quickly, and altogether doing remarkably well — better, probably, than in any other baby hospital; but the question was, Gould fhey not get them to do better ( ! still? Were there any means by which thejr could make the conditions of the babies in the' Karitane Horn© entirely ahead of anything that had ever been done or attempted in any similar institution in the world? He was quite satisfied that they could. The one respect above all others in which natural home life under ideal conditions tended to excel life in even the best institutions wa3 the really hard work done by the infanta in the natural process of breast-feeding, and the additional exercise and stimulation of all tfhe various senses, muscles, and other bodily organs which resulted from its being frequently handled, changed in position, and , carried about in the open air and sunshine. ' It was true that at the Home they already had abundance of air and sunlight. Fur- ( t'her, every possible effort was made, by using the best form of feeder and by holdLing the bottle while feeding, to ensure as nearly as possible the stimulation and, cxciv cisc involved in the natural process of suckling. The babies at Karitane certainly did not get their food, as was so often the , case nowaday**, by mere passive imbibition. He was satisfied that the feeding was now , most attentively and excellently carried out. Indeed, it was obvious that few ' artificially-fed babies were as well off in j this respect in their own homes. Further, the babie3 had daily kicking exercise, and they were handled as much as the staff could manage; but they were not handled j a-nd carried about as much as would be good for them. That this was so, the .' matron fully recognised. She noticed that J the sick babies recovered more quickly when they got plenty of personal attention, and that the liveliness and activity of all her charges was much affected by this | factor. This was particularly noticed in cases where, for instance, the mothsr would come and nurse her own baby for an hour or co every afternoon, or where .» large proportion of the time of a nurse j was devoted each day to some particular infant who had to be tided over an emergency. She found visitors most helpful , in this respect; but something more than this casual help was desirable. Could they not organise a guild of volunteers who would undertake to give the babies in the Home every day the ideal amount of individual personal attention which no hospital staff, however large, could possibly afford to the full extent that was desirable. It was women's work, and he felt sure there must be many in our midst who would be glad to spare some of their leisure to giving the babies a good time. The benefit done would be incalculably great. It was' not a mere question of momentarily benefiting the baby or making it happier at the time — the more important consideration \va6 the lifelong effect of such attention and- care given at a critical turning-point as affecting the whole future life and health of the- individual. There must surely be girls who would be glad to be of service in. this way, ( and would also ' benefit thetnselvcs by direct contact with and participation in these actualities of domestic lifeSeveral members of the committee spoke ] favourably of the proposal, especially as | affording an excellent experience for girls themselves, while enabling them at the

same time to render a really valuable service to the community. It was resolved that. Mrs Ritchie and Mrs Theomin be appointed a sub-committee to organise c guild of volunteers to assist in nursing at the Earitane Home with a special view to giving the babies more exercise in the open air and sunlight and more direct personal handling.