OUR BABIES.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 14130, 5 July 1916, Page 2

OUR BABIES.

(By Hygeia)

Published under the auspices of the S° y?iu N/^' Zeala»d Society for the Health of Women and Children.

"It is wiser to put up a fence at tho top of a precipice than to maintain an ambulance at the bottom "

Nelson.—PJunket Nurse Wix. Office 18 Selwyn Place. Tel. 125. HonSetS Mr" BHght ' Wailnea

TOO TAIiLY WEANING

Unnecessary weaning lw:; X before the taby is mno months old is one of tin most disastrous mistakes of modern motnerhood Speaking many years ago to the matron of a large Salvation Army Home, I happened to .say that 1 Uiought the common practice of weaniug unfortunate babies during the first mouth was very cruel. The matron V very excellent and earnest woman replied with deepfSeeling: ' "I don't call it merely cruel: 1 call it murder. I have seen'so much of tho pitiaole results of early weaning that I ivonder something more is not done to prevent it." . a

BABIES' HI.GHTS

In all directions one hears the sama t«wng irom people who have had lame experience with the clas,< of childre"- j who commonly graduate sooner or later to licensed homes. OonceJ-nir--those the Rev. Mr Smaill.. of Chrisfchnrch, speaking of his own persona! experience, extending over a great mini her of years, remarked what an ono--mous boon it would >l w to those vr'nvui -! ily wionpd balii,. B ir ihoir mothers I could all be compel!,.;{ to rear them! naturally ior at i e; , st the first six months, mstt-ad of fadliti-s beinff ofrerca onabiino- the nwnii.jr t.- ■-•t rid! or her natural charge and respoi-^bilii v : at, the end of ai. loitui-ht. N^vht-i.-was too truth of w!ia: bo co»-i...irk-f:1 more strikingly, wvu tl::vii J-.i (:!,rist-i churdiiteelf. In an ; vJn,nah: ; - y.*nw\ there, ■ where tho woth.-rr, siir.^f for six months. I s u «.v « ,1,:^;, or more b«'ib).os, evory one- of which v .-as ' ra' Iniire of health, and I do not think tV-t toave war, one bein X artiriMally fed , t fc the time ot my yisifc. This was mf.u,years ago; hnfc T <-an n.-icinhcr cleariv tho very striking Crt:u.r. :sl be^we.v", { these inhints and the dues we <-;-i\v ir: vhe course of a day hmmil in visi'cr.ithe sjrt-ificiislly-f o« babies m other ii'-i stitutions and in licoi>sed ::oii.sr.s." Mr! SnMiiU was equaliv ciiipli-Mk- resj-ardfu.''f the moj-al effect oil t!u.> liioiiser mid \h.~< \ effect on lire hop.itli ; btit ifc would'hoj outside the. ieopc of the present article to dwell on this aspect of the matter. j..Jy concern at the moment is the hah?

PROPEI{ GUIDANCE NEEDED

[ In the i-la-s of casop. I l.a'v.- just Ju-on rtfornng to, the 'haby is" i.isuail.y woanecl In- the. motlu-i-'^ con.vcnior.^ niproly hw-iiii^ s!ie wants i;<> <v O t 'b-.r-k to.lier ordinary Y ,-nrk «nd li<»r "ordinary tiro; > but UH're are nianv c::=;os where m.iri-ied wouumi v/lio aw'most rv.'-^v;!^ to do justice to tlioir p:-n e j-r:v ' "h\[ to continue niM-sino: beyond rii-wSr^ }>.*•■ juonths, sini|,]y heo.iusc, U u -*v hav--. b;v]\ no proper -uidaac-o. in pfovious a;--tuMfs I have drawn uttontiou to th\>< foiMir.oi- vwf?. of this f;"ai!nr«- h-A- m-\ day i shnulri like to'r.Uipliasf^;-';,!>-f-;.)!| v ! one ]K iii!T—i iy... t!:i> noed in-- r-tlo-aii i r-;i rr>. of tile iii-iV:"...:.;.; ;•;■>(! :;:*;i,n;u «-,->;•!;.■! !iu. j.Tirsin^. 1>) tius ;■-■;:.■! j.^i I ,'|^-! quote •:!■.. ro!i.-wi;i<i f:;,,;, '-^.-.diivx. -r.l | Care of Baby." pngu G:-- " "' "I

Mothers ,r.v. jL^.rcf.-dlv Uikl \U^i after the first \rc:-k !>:vi)Y must l-av.v only one broiist at c^r.h'nursing, tbo nrejistj; lx»iji:v. used nlti-nintdv.'" Tlris; is right where the mother hVs'plrntv i or Tiiilk a:!:! hiJ>y .rei#. ali lie ivVv; from hrii>. is reset/ Thit'vvhoiv \':'r: ••■,: not.tlio case—v/hov« t;u> pnnply faj).-:! short oF what is nr-< c!;^l, atKl on-H broa?t: n^h iiii-nHi o!ioT!cr]i fo1 ' o'ie .<-o-!i:' >, —1 ':!- <.'•..•!,! - mWi';J % | 118 J-'lt J.O li.v.'l t.!'! «■ '~ ... ' c ;]-..,'; . . j U.-p- ri<v't i'li^vt !•< -p.. , . ,-< ,'i; r ii ono fo".-.ir.-::!,->(• -rtl the lift !)«;,■:■_ i^" 7 "... tl-o -i'-sl. TJi'.c :, the l,t--jnonns ol vtii.iuiatiiior th»- «-.'-( Koiion of milir, from oiyht io ton minutes bein«; allowed fm- o'lt'h lircast. In a«v <"asp-, tin; brnsb firsi, sr.ck'.Ml bo i mpt'cd ; h'jo witli :i;i !rc:"i-°-j]Tj,i K'iD],ly !e^-, nnd io-s '■:■<• i!",p'd T)^! allowed in regard to the ,«efoud |

breast;- and if the supply becomes ample, only the one breast should be ■used at each nursing.

WRONG ADVICE FREQUENTLY GIVEN.

Over and over again in England we found these considerations'ignored, and heard the wrong advice given to mothers visiting the various institutions, whoso very object is to foster normal motherhood. Indeed, I cannot recall a. single instance in which any reference was made to the necessity of using both breasts where the milk IPPb T was failing. The assumption seemed to be that the alternate use of the breasts at successive feedings shoiild apply under all circumstances. Equally wrong was the way in which women were invariably told to entirely replace one or more breast-feedings by bottlefeedings where* the baby was failing, to increase in weight satisfactorily. There was obviously no realisation of the factthat the surest way to dry" up the milk supply is to give up stimulating tha breasts regularly at the proper times, lhe mother was often told to drink more milk or to take more fluid in other foi-nis; but one scarcely ever heard anything said 'as to ' proper ■sponging of the breasts twice a day and the use of brisk friction laaid massage.

WEIGHING BABY BEFORE AND AFTER NURSING.

Weighing a baby before and after nursing was quite exceptional in the schools for mothers, and in some they said frankly that they never resorted to this, and, indeedj had no scales capable of weighing closer than tot ounce. Even in. "New Zealand the extreme value of this procedure is only gradually becoming full,' recognised', and I think it well on this account to quote the following clear and emphatic statement from the Society's book, page .57 :■ — "" ■■~

In the easy of a breast-fed -baiby, if there is indigestion, putting-up of food, restlessness, disturbed sleop, or any other sign' of ill-health or discomfort—©specially if the baby is not growing properly,—the first thing to do is to weigh him before and after feeding. This rulo is absolute. -Sue!; weighing affords the only means of ascertaining whether a suckled baby is getting th<\ right quantity of food. Without weighing, any attempt at treatment is mere guesswork and empiricism. .