OUR BABIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3347, 8 May 1918, Page 52

OUR BABIES.

By Htgeia. Published under tno auspices ol tho Royal Nfw Zealand Society tor the Health o! Wom»n and Children. "It Is wiser to put up a tence at the top ol a precipice than to maintain an ambulance at the bottom." HARDENING A DELICATE CHILD. (Continued.) I save you last week a republication of tho history of a delicate child who came under my notice over 10 years ago, whom I have kept in touch with since. This week I give an account of the course that was pursued with a view to restoring her to health and strength : - WHAT HAD TO BE DONE. The leading instructions to the grandmother were on the lines laid down in the beginning of the Society's book. MEALS. Suitable meals of wholesome, plain food —such as bread-and-butter, toast, rusks, porridge, milk pints a day)—were to be given with perfect regularity only three or, at most, four times in the 24 hours. No "pieces" were to be permitted between meals, and no "lollies," cake, or sweet biscuits, etc., at any time. A drink of water might be given between meals if the child were specially thirsty. The use of wholesome, ripe fruit and suitable vegetables was to be encouraged at meal times. The little meat allowed was to be underdone. Thorough mastication was to be ensured as far as possible. This dietetic regimen was not to be arrived at suddenly, but by proper gradations, and pending some improvement in digestion the milk was to be partly modified Due warning was given as to the harm liable to arise from any sudden, extreme change of habits. It was explained that some weeks would have to be spent in attaining the prescribed goal, but that dis'tinct vices such as the taking of "sweets" and "pieces" between meals were to be abandoned at once. EXERCISE. As tho child could not walk, the first exercise had to be given in the form of "massage," which, fortunately, a member of the lamily was able to carry out herself, as she had had some nursing experience. bathing. Stimulation of the skin was to be initiated by first sponging the limbs only, cold bathing for the whole body being gradually arrived at on the lines laid down in the preceding articles and summarised on page 71 of tne Society's book._ In this connection particular stress was laid on the -paramount need for winning the child to resume the use of its voluntary muscles by making the "exercise after bathing" take the form of an.open-air game—such as the most primitive form of "hide and seek," carried out in such a way as to induce the child not to dawdle, but to run with spirit from point to point of the route chosen for the morning excursion. (This may seem very troublesome and exacting, but it must be borne in mind that the relations were in earnest, and that they were fighting for the child's health and life. Moreover, they won the battle in the course of a single month!) GOING BAREFOOT. The time was mideummer, and it was advised that the child should be trained to walk barefoot. clothing. The clothing next the skin was to be non-irritating (silk and wool), and the rest of the clothing _ was 'to be as light and porous as possible, consistent with due warmth—loose, woollen materials, not cotton. Further, there was to be absolute freedom from constriction of any kind—nothing to hamper the free play of the muscles and internal organs. PURE air and sunlight. The child was to be kept as much as possible in the open air by day, and to sleep in pure air at night. These were the leading injunctions. (For 'the rest see the Society's book.) SUMMARY OF PROGRESS. When first seen the child was over two and a-half years of age, and weighed 241 b. Exactly a month later —viz., on February 10, 1908 —the grandmother wrote: I must tell you how my little grandchild is getting on. I am pleased to say she is much improved under tho treatment recommended. She has gained in . weight; her appetite is much better, and she rests better at night. Within another nine months the child had increased in weight from 241 b to 34ilb, and had attained above the average weight for her years, having gained in 10 months about three times the ordinary " weight-increase" for 12 months from two and a-half to three and a-hulf years of age. Of course, she was "putting on flesh" and making up for lost time. The following series of letters will serve to show that the all-round improvement in health, vigour, and happiness was quite as remarkable as the gain in weight:— March 19, 1908. Little Annie's weight is now 301 b, and she is still improving. April 17, 1908. Sinco writing to you a month ago she has had diarrhoea, and for a time was not quite as well, but is taking her food better now, and continues to gain in weight. She was weighed to-day, and weighs 321b)—that is an increase of 21b

sineo I last wrote. She still has her cold bath every morning. We are wondering if we should continue them through the winter, or substitute tepid water during the very cold weather.

Tho grandmother was written to and informed that the coid bath ought to be continued through the winter, provided that proper reaction could bo ensured by the taking of a sufficiency of suitable exercise immediately after bathing.

Cured ov Caprice and Fastidiousness

.Further progress was reported in May, but, unfortunately, the letter has been mislaid. It stated that the child was full of life and spirit, growing’ steadily, and “on the go" all day long. Her appetite was good, fastidiousness as to food had disappeared, and the maintenance of a consistent, regular daily regimen had completely obliterated the old craving for capricious and irregular indulgences, This the grandmother exemplified by the following incident;—When in town the child vv.-.s offered some sweets, but refused them of tier own accord, saying; “I don’t have things between meals.” June 9, ISOB. I am pleased 'to tell you that little Annie is still improving. Bha is grown)jg fast, and is not like the saras child. She takes her food well. We hare kept on faithfully with the cold bath, and she takes a good run after. Ker weight is now 331 b lOoz. I cannot express my gratitude for what has been done for her. July 18, 1808. You will bn pleased to hear that little Annie b stiil keeping well and gaining m weight. She has gained since June 8. She still continues the cold bath. N.B. —This was the coldest month of the year, and the region—Southland ! ' • Further letters will be given next week. HEALTH OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN. The annual report of the Dunedin Branch of the .Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Women and Children records another year of steady progress. There was a further decline in the infantile death rate for Dunedin. The latest returns show Dunedin just over 4 per cent. (4.02), as against an average of 5.17 per cent, for the four main cities of the dominion. The latest available return for the whole of New Zealand shows an infantile death rate (of infants under one year) of 4.82 per cent. —the lowest yet recorded for the dominion. Since the beginning of the war eight cases, comprising 8903 articles, have been sent to Britain for distribution, and in addition a number of garments have been given during the year to soldiers’ wives needing help. Details are given of the “ baby week ” held in Dunedin, which was fully reported in these columns at the time. A nother change had been effected in the matronship of the Karitane-Harris Hospital, Miss Lucy Moreland having been appointed matron as from Ist April. During the 12 months from April 1 1917, to March 31, 1918, 146 babies and 34 mothers had been resident in the institution under treatment, the largest number at any one time being 19lb babies and three mothers. The average length of stay in hospital was 31.9 days for babies. Sixteen of the 34 mothers were in residence for 24 hours only; the average length of stay for the remaining 18 was 18.3 days. There has been a great increase in the number of babies under treatment during the year—l 46 as against 98 last year. Of the 165 cases admitted during the year, 97 came from Dunedin, 39 from other places in Otago, 16 from South land, 11 from Canterbury, one from Nelson, and one from Wellington. Out of the 146 babies under treatment during the year, five died, being a mortality rate of less than 3it per cent. In none of these cases was recovery humanly possible. Final year home science students attended practical demonstrations at the hospital on the feeding and care of babies. Final year medical students attended for clinical instruction, accompanied by one of the honorary physicians. Forty-six nurses were in training for shorter or longer periods during the year. Of these, 29 presented thornpelves for examination; 16 qualified as Plunked; nurses and .10 as Karitane baby nurses. During the year ended March 31, 1493 babies were dealt with by the Dunedin Plunkct nurses, 664 being new cases. The number of visits paid to the homes of mothers was 9621, and 4529 visits were paid by adults and babies to the society’s rooms. The amount paid in salaries av»s larger than usual, owing to the 10 per cent, bonus given to the Plunket nurses, and the employment of a fourth nurse in the district for a large portion of the year. The secretaryship was no longer an honorary position. The sum expended for foodstuffs was considerably greater than in the previous year, mainly because of the increase in the cost of all commodities.