OUR BABIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2928, 27 April 1910, Page 66

OUR BABIES.

Br Htgeia.

Published under the auspices of the Society for the Health of Women and Children. “It is wiser to put up a fence at the top of a precipice than to maintain an ambulance at the bottom.”

ADDRESSES OF PLUNKET NURSES AND SECRETARIES. Dunedin. —Plunket Nurses Matheaon and Ellis. Tel. 1136. Office of tho Society, Health Department Rooms, Liverpool street Dunedin Office hours, Monday •Thursday, and Saturday, from 2 t® 3 p.m. Hon. sec., Mrs Oa/rr, 8 Hgtioo row. Tel. 1774. Christchurch.—Plunket Nurses Hickson and Thompson Office of the Society, 27 Durham street South. Tel. 940. Office hours, 2 to 3 p.m. daily, except Saturdays, 2.20 to 4 p.m. Hon. sec., Mrs H. Pyne, Bealey avenue. Tel. 285. Wellington.—Plunket Nurse M’Donald, 73 Aro street. Tel. 2425. Hon. sec., Mrs M'Vioar, 45 Marioribanke street, City. Tel. 2642. Auckland..-Plunket Nurses Chappell and Brien. Park street. Tel. 851. Office of the Society, 2 Chancery street. Tel. 829. Office hours, Tuesdays and Fridays, 2.30 to 4 p.m. Hon eec., Mra W. H. Parkee, Marinoto, Symonds street. Tel. 240. Napier.—Plunket Nurse Donald, Masonic Hotel. Tel, 87. Hon sec., Mrs E. A. W. Henley, P.O. box 64. Tel. 147. Palmerston North.—Plunket Nurse Henderson, care of W. Park, bookseller, The Square. Tel. 20. Hours 3 to 4 p.m. daily. President, Mrs J. D. Hewitt. Hon. sec. Mrs M. Cohen, Grey street. Tel. 58. New Plymouth. —Plunket Nurse M’Carthy. Imperial Hotel. Tel. 123. Office, Town Hall, Wednesdays and Fridays, 2 to 4 p.m Hon. sec., Mrs R. J> Matthews, Fitzroy. Tel. 104, , Timaru.-—Plunket Nurse Bowman. Office of the Society, Arcade Chambers. Tel. Jl4. Office hours. 3.30 to 4.30 and 6.30 to * 7.30. Hon. see., Mrs Smithson, Faillie, Sefton street. Tel. 230. Hastings (Hawke’s Bay).—Acting Plunket Nurse Mitchell. Office at Mr Bates a Pharmacy, Hastings-. Hon. see., Mrs T. W. Lewis. Tel. 285. Invercargill.* —Plunket Nurso, Allen’s Hall, Kelvin street. Hon. sec., Mrs Handyside, Gala street. Society’s Baby Hospital, Karitane Home, Anderson’s Bay, Dunedin. Tel. 1985. Demonstrations on points of interest to mothers are given by the Matron every Wednesday afternoon from 2.30 to 3.30. e All mothers -are invited. Messages may be left at any time at the Plunket Nurses’ offices or private addresses. All other information available from tho hon. secretary of each branch. PLUNKET NURSES’ SERVICES FREE. THE UNSPEAKABLE DUMMY. Travelling by train a few weeks ago in the same compartment as ourselves was a young mother and a beautiful little baby - boy of about 15 months. He had the inevitable dummy, with ring attached, hanging by a cord down the front of his drees. We were sitting near by, and the little fellow, who was full of life and energy and who was playing about in the carriage, soon made friends with us. Naturally w© began to chat with his mother, and she told us the baby was her only child, and an only grandson as well, so ho was very much the apple of her eye and she was evidently- most devoted to him. The lady who was with me remarked that it was a pity ho had a dummy, saying that by using it there was a great risk, of deforming the child’s mouth and ruining Lis teeth. The mother replied that sh© knew some people said dummies were not good, but that if my friend had a baby she would probably use one too when he become*, cross. _ “At any rate,’’ said she, looking with pride at the beautifully-made, plump little chap with rosy cheeks and shining eyes, “it has not done him any harm so far, has it?” LACK OF LOGIC. It is one of the amazing points of view of mothers that they always speak in this way. They are quite prepared to persist in a wrong course until they can see actual definite harm, which by that time is more or less irreparable. Women constantly say : “I know* such and such a child who. had a dummy, and his teeth are all right.” They don’t realise that the child’s jaws, teeth, and digestion would have been still better had no dummy been used, and that for one case where they can. see no damage there would be a dozen cases where the evil effects would be clear to them if pointed out. .. The fact is that defective jaws, teeth, and digestion are PREDISPOSED TO by weakness ■of the mother and by artificial feeding as well as by neglect of any cf tho factors making for good health, such as fresh air, exercise, regularity, etc.; but the more IMMEDIATE EXCITING CAUSES of mouth and teeth defects and adenoids are the use of the dummy, the long-tube feeder, and subsequent pap-feed-ing. If the last three were avoided, and reasonable ear© were exercised by mothers with regard to the hygiene of themselves and their offspring, we should hear no more about bad teeth and adenoids, which are causing such universal alarm throughout the civilised wor-kl to-day.- It ia not suggested that because a particular child used the dummy therefore it must show characteristic deformities of mouth, teeth, etc.; bub that; the great majority of children so treated do show such defects;* and these will he aggravated by neglect of care and attention in regard to any of the factors making for health. The meat deplorable cases are s€isn where all the adverse factox-s mentioned are brought to bear in the case of a particular child who ■has been delica.fi? at birth; whereas a child exceptionally robust at birth, subjected to only on© harmful influence —say, for in stance, the use of the dummy—may escape not really “soot free,” but to outward appearance undamaged, and actually more normal than the avei’age child of civilisation.

To return to the baby in the train. We told the mother about the evils arising from the use of the comforter, but I fear our counsels fell on deaf ea-rs, as the dummy was frequently popped into his

mouib even v;li-?n there seemed vn \zJt#e whatever for doing so. Presently thi life: ma.n got down on to the floor -jm\ rx«yt along the ipassagc way. which bad beet trodden and" re-trodden by passengers go ! na from carriage to carriage, the d-unuty, of course, sweeping along the floor. After this excursion the abomination found its way into Lua mouth as usual. Here i* an example of a devoted mother who had heard something in a Vftgua «••&;* about the avils which arise 'ror.l the wa of the dummy, and yet who eyideoitlj iid not consider the matter of sufficient importance to cause her to inquire further la connection with the Tearing Jt <?t3i' dren the dummy is everywhere reoor-iiissd' by the leading doctors and dentilstc as -<;~>e of the greatest evils of the day, &o& * 'a humiliating to reflect that we wonKr» #w»not bs prevented from continuing' *fc> two without an -Act of Parliament. If yaretrfc could once bo brought to realise £:.? u.-xsel, lifelong wrong which they are doing: Lo their dependent little ones by forcing upon them such pernicious habits, the "Longtube feeder" and the so-called "Comfo/tar" would soon disappear from the Dominion. THE JUDGMENT. OF THE INNOCENTS. The little children whom one J&3S jn our streets, iram», and trains cojs-tantly sucking at dummies, and who aro dooib<Ki to have misshapen jaws, crowded and decayed teeth, and adenoids, will b#> justified in turning on their p*.ro.T>fc * *'<" .years hence and asking wha-' fifthi £no.t had to endow them with Ufa rwid iheL •» imnose upon them such a handbsr* •"**/ did they not take the trouble to £n-? *ut how best to bring them up—why dkl -«',. brand them with deformities $M dmhstties from which there is no r&y "■'• SoWS afterwards? What right have parent* to sliii-L &•#* responsibilities ind say: — ''If- ''s9b./, '- **• push a dummy into hi* mouth tzd *s6* have peace. This cry about dnftupivS ia& adenoids is only a fad, and wil' ;&& .r/vv, like, other fads." The matter is much too serious to ix *** missed so summarily, and it" behoves At parents who will not accept -yhiui s» <*i* forward to look into the matter <iwj »tW fully weigh what the greats.jt —doctors and dentists alike— h&rc io Wft on the subject. Among thosa oiiaiifiej K, speak there is but one verdict. Those ifa£ have not time for investigathu? •"rhemsei.'" «*- may take on trust our advice fc destroy any 'dummies in their possession v\i otic" . JOHN BURNS ON THE DUMMY The Ri«bt Hon. John Burns, pi-esiden* id the Local Government Board m the £ xer sent English Government, speaking oa fl» prevention of consumption, said in "■ -vocivfc address: I come to another practical Kenift&y—that is, the abolition of the "Comfort.-;?.'' and the "Soother." This is u vefj serious thing. The bomb, the pistol. wo DYNAMITE HAVE KILLED THEIB SCORES, ECT I believe the ''Comforter" has killed CM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF LITTLE CHILDiCEN' What i 3 more, doctors tell ni3 thai is 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 .'" — a. special cause of bad teafch, Lr,te> 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 responsible in many cases foir Adenoids. ... I would endure the charge of being a bureaucrat with pleasure and equanimity if with one order I could make ' the Comfof/'-r a PUBLIC NUISANCE, AND SCHEDULE IT A 3 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 ths baby quiet at the moment, instead of finding outjmd attending to its real needs. At the Karitane Hospital babies generally come in with dummies; these are at once taken away and destroyed. There may '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 mere trouble. Last Saturday night a baby was taken to the _ hospital with the inevitable dummy—to-night (Monday) 4t went quietly to sleep without & 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 alii? That 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 that many nurses carry a comforter with them as part of their equipment, and that the baby has become habituated to its use tefore 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 thing is to be introduced into her home. The use of a dummy may be regarded as a testimony to the incompetence or laziness of the numc. , If resrular habits with regard to feeding, sleeping, movements of bowels, etc, aire started at the dawn of .life there, will never be any need for artificial soothers. The .best and most lasting way of attaining peafce and comfort in the home is to train ths child in proper healthy- habits, stage by Stage, from the first day, as enjoined by Dr and Mrs'Fitz in the extracts from their writings which we made last week and the week before.

PROTECTION OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN.

The usual monthlv meeting of the above society was held at the Town Hall on the 21st, whan there were present-Canon Curzon'rSigerers (in the chair). Messrs Pollaway, D. Wright, F. Gumming, Rev. '/inoen!; Kinp;. Mesdames. Reynolds, . Ewcn, Withers, B'ry,. Adjutant Tweed, and the secretary (Mrs A. Ansell). Apologies were received from his Worship the Mayor, Rev. W. Slade. Dr Siedeberg, and Mesdames Jackson, Gordon, and Wise Several matters of importance came before the committee through-correspondence. Amongst those was a letter of thanks from New Plymouth for information forwarded ■ to assist in founding a. branch of the society there. Also a letter from Dr Irwin, at the Rock and Pillar Sanatorium, in answer to one sent by the secretary, stating that there was no house in which to place a patient in Dunedin who was not cured. It was

moved by Mr Gallaway that the secretary of the Charitable Aid Board be approached with the suggestion that in dental cases where the patient was too unwell to come to town, Dr Pickerell might be asked to attend to them at the Sanatorium. The number of oases of illegitimate children brought under the notice of the society during the month was noted. Ihe Secretary stated that she found it impossible to procure homes for all these which keep not only the society, but the Government inspector and the matron of the Forth Street Hospital, fully employed. The opinion was expressed that this waa becoming a very serious question, and that something would have to be done in connection with registered homes shortly, as the supply is much shorter than the demand.