OUR BABIES

Te Aroha News, Volume XLI, Issue 6604, 26 May 1925, Page 5

OUR BABIES

BY HYGEIA. . FRESH AIR AND VENTILATION The following is a Plunket Nurse : talk of mothers about fresh air and ventilation. I believe our readens wid be interested in having the matter explained thus. The Plunket Nurse when talking would, of course, demonstrate with -the actual materials used, while in this colum we-must be content with calling attention to the illustrations in “Feeding and Care of Eaby.” INTRODUCTIONTo thoSie who believe that t ne fresh air craze is all nonsense I should like to say that nothing is more' striking than the marked improvement in colour, condition and liveliness shown by babies when they are given plenty ot fresh "air. This fact alone should convince us that air and light are as necessary to tP'-m as to the plants and other animal i. 15

The main, essentials for the health of a child are air,. water, food, clothing, bathing,.warmth, exercise, regularity, cleanliness, mothering, management, rest and sleep..; - ■:* AIR THE MOST IMPORTANT V

Air stands first and is the most'important. A baby may live for a certain time without -any of the factors, but deprive him' of air and he will die in three of four minutes. - The air he breathes must be fresh. A. baby deprived of fresh air becomes pale, restless and listless, and ca'tches cold easily. Fresh air and sunshine stimulate the body, and are made use. of in health and disease. i Even one or,two people in a closed r'oom use up the pure air in a very.? short time, and the room becomes filled with the gas they breathe out; A mother will say she believes in fresh air for the baby and she puts'him outside in the daytime, but at night she keeps him in a- room full of foul air. Let him have fresh air day and nighty.; Night , air is not harmful. / • 4 There is one thing we must be certain of when putting a baby in the open air, and that is keeping him warm by warm clothing, a properlymade cot, and hot-wafer bag if necessary. If he is not warm he will derive very little benefit from the fresh air; but if he is properly clad he will thrive best in a pure cool atmosphere. Of course, he must not be ■, taken straight from a warm kitchen into the outside air. Gradually get him used to the cooler atmosphere. VENTILATION It is not always possible to put 4 baby’s cot outside on account of bad ' weather, in which case we must ensure plenty of fresh air inside. We"; do this by correct ventilation. By £ ventilation is meant a moving of fresh air.

When the surrounding air is fresh and cool, our breath rises, and we inhale pure air; but when the surrounding air is warm and stuffy our breath hangs round us, and we breather in again the poisoned air. A mother i taking her. baby to the picture theatre does not realise that he is being poisoned J?y the impurities breathed out by a crowd of people. As Dr. O. W. Holmes said:

God lent his creatures light and air, And waters open to the-skies; Man locks him in a stifling lair, And wonders why his brother dies.

A well-ventilated room has a current of fresh air movfng through it day and night; the baby must not be put in the draught. The floor is a very draughty place, and if he is put on the floor to kick he should be put on a blanket and surrounded by a kicking pen—four pieces of board nailed to form a square (see page 83, “Feeding and Care of Baby”). The best kind of room for ventilation is one with a fireplace. The currents of air run towards, the fireplace from windows, doors, etc.; thus round the fireplace is the draughtiest part of the room, and baby should never be put on the floor in front of the fire to get warm or toast his toes (see page 67). He will only get cold, especially the back of the head. His cradle also must not be put in a draught. If there is no other place in the room for baby’s cot, it must be protected by a screen. On the other hand, his cot should not be put beside his mother’s bed, as the ajr around the mother is muggy and enervating. Of course, the very worst place for the baby to sleep is in bed with his mother. This is absolutely wrong, as there is danger of his being smothered, and he gets no fresh air. You may ask why baby should not sleep with his mother when baby animals sleep with their mothers; but animals sleep in the open air and are not ered with bedclothes.

The best place for baby to sleep is: 1. On the verandah, if he is kept warm. 2. In a well-ventilated room ' by himself. 3. If he has to sleep in his mother’s room, let there be a current of air between the two beds (see plan of bedroom, page 65). Having put baby in an airy room we must make sure he gets all the air possible. SUMMARY If we remember the following points when ensuring fresh air for the babies we cannot go far wrong:— 1. The air around them must be moving. 2. Babies should not be taken straight from a very warm atmosphere to a cold one without proper protection. 4. Keep the babies warm by suitable clothing and suitable bedclothes. CONCLUSION Feed your baby properly, give him pure, cool air to breathe, keep his body snug, and he will be contented. 111-feed, starve or chill him, and he will feel wretched, and will let you know it. i