OUR BABIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3862, 20 March 1928, Page 72

OUR BABIES.

Br

Hygeia.

Pubflshtd undar th* euaplcea «f th* Royal Now Zealand Society far th* Health *1 Women and Children (Plunket Society). “it 1* wiser to put up a fence at th* top of a precipice than t* maintain an ambulance at the bottom.”

PLUNKET NURSES, ETC., DUNEDIN BRANCH. NURSES' SERVICES FREE. Nurses O’Shea (telephone 23-348), Isbister (telephone 10-866), Thomson, Scott, and Ewart (telephone 10-216), and Mathieson (telephone- 23-020). Society’s Rooms: Jamieson’s Buildings, 6 Lower Stuart street (telephone 10-216), Office hours, daily from 2 to 4 p.m. (except Saturday and Sunday) and 10 a.m to noon on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays; 315 King Edward street. South Dunedin, t to 4 p.m. daily (except Saturday and Sunday), and 10 a.m to noon on Fridays; also 125 Highgate. Roslyn—Monday and Thursday from 2 to 4 p.m.; Parkhill avenue, Mbrnington. Wednesdays, 2 to 4 p.m.; Kelsey-Yaralla Kindergarten, Monday and Friday from 2 to 4 p.m.; and at 99 Musselburgh Rise, Wednesdays. 2 to 4 p.m. Out-stations: Baptist Church, Gordon road, Mosgiel, Tuesday afternoons from 3 to 4 o’clock; Presbyterian Church Hall. Outram, alternate Fridays, 2 to 4 p.m.; Municipal Buildings, Port Chalmers, Wednesday afternoons from 2 to 4 o’clock; also Hall, Macandrcw's Bay, Fridays, 2 to 4 p.m.

Secretary, Miss G. Hoddinott, Jamie son’s Buildings, Stuart street (telephone 10-216). Karitane-Harris Baby Hospital, Anderson’s Bay (telephone 22-985). Matron, Miss Hitchcock. Demonstrations given on request every Wednesday afternoon from 2.30 by Plunket Nurses and Karitane Baby Nurses. Visiting hours: 2 to 4 p.m., Wednesday. Friday and Sunday.

“MOTHERCRAFT” FOR GIRL GUIDES.

In response to requests from the Girl Guides’ Association, the Plunket nurses in many districts from time to time instruct companies of Girl Guides for their “ Child Nurse Baxlge.” A short series of talks and demonstrations is given covering the simple essentials of child care. At the end a few questions are set,'and the answers are often strikingly good, and prettily expressed, too, as will be seen from the following answers, which are typical of many written by schoolgirls from, say, 14 to 17 years of age.

Question : Give your reasons why artificial feeding of babies is inferior to natural feeding. Answer : “ Artificial feeding is not the way Nature intended a baby to be fed. It is unnatural. It is inclined to be insanitary. Bottles, teats, etc., if not treated with the greatest care, can accumulate germs dreadfully, which are thus introduced into the baby's system. It may largely do away with ‘ mothering ’ of the baby, whereas the natural way makes a strong bond of love between the mother and baby. Babies fed artificially are more prone to disease than naturally fed babies. More artificially fed babies die than naturally’ fed ones. Artificial feeding inclines baby to colic, indigestion, etc. The milk of the cow is not so digestible as natural food, and it is too strong in protein element. The baby’s digestion is made and formed for human milk, and the strong curd of cow's milk is ruinous to the kidneys.

Question : Describe how you would look after a little girl of about three years old from first thing in the morning until last thing at night, mentioning what you might giv e her for breakfast, dinner, and tea.

Answer : Betty woke up at 6.30, and began to talk to the animals on the wallpaper. I left her till 7 o’clock, and then gave her her cool sponge-over while I tried to answer all her questions. I dressed her, putting on 'her long singlet and tiny bodice, her little panties (which fastened on to buttons on the bodice), her flannel petticoat, and her favourite blue rompers with rabbits round the neck. I sat her in her high chair and put on her mackintosh feeder. Betty loves porridge, and does not think of having sugar on it. She very soon had a delightful mess on her feeder, but I let her try to feed herself, to learn, until ' I had to rescue the spoon, and she soon finished with my help. Next came crisp toast and butter, a drink of milk, and last a piece of raw’ apple for lier teeth. After breakfast I 'sat her down’ till her bowels moved, and then let her play out on the lawn till she came in for a ' dink.’ I only gave her some water, and she resumed playing until her daily rest soon after 10. I took off her ’rompers and petti-, coat, and covered her up. and she was soon fast asleep. Betty woke just in time to have her face and hands washed for dinner. She loves to imagine what she is going to have, and by the look of delight she gave, me when I brought in her potato and spinach and gravv I think she was quite satisfied, and she enjoyed the plate of stewed fruit and milk and the crust and anple which followed. After dinner I ‘sat her down’ again, and put on her afternoon frock, and presently we went out to see the big eat which lived in the next street. When we came home Betty had her warm bath, and was quickly made to glow all over. She looks sweet in her little flannel nightie and her warm blue slippers and dressing gown. Then 1 put on her egg to cook, and took it off when the. white was just set. I took out of a tin some of the strips of bread I had previously baked in the oven, an Betty had . them with butter. After this she had a piece of brown bread with a scraping of honey. She is quite canable of drinking her milk and water out.of the little cup with ‘Jack and Jill’ on it, and how she loves her apple at the

end, too. After tea, a little play, and then, quickly kissing her ‘ Good night,’ I popped her into her sleeping-bag, and called her father to kiss her ‘ Good night,’ too. Betty, sleeps on the wide verandah, as she is quite healthy’ and strong. Before I went, to bed I stole out to see if she was quite warm and ‘ comfy.’ She was as warm as toast, and her little cold nose and cheeks assured me that she was gaining the benefits of the fresh air.”