OUR BABIES.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13744, 5 September 1908, Page 3

OUR BABIES.

(By Hygeia.)

"It is wiser to put up a fence at the top of a precipice than to maintain an ambulance at the bottom." HOW TO TREAT AILING BABIES

Mothers living in the back block* beyond reach of doctors and nurset often write asking for guidance ii dealing with babies who are not thruing or who are suffering from "mmoi aliments." One may remark by the way that most of the diseases whicl.l lead to death in babyhood or to chronn debility extending into later iiie grow insensibly out ot "failing to thrive,' "not being a good doer," or are the outcome of so-called "minor ailments,' such as wind, colic, indigestion, constipation, diarrhoea, trouule in mak ing water, irritations or eruptions oi skin, sore eyes, colds, coughs, sore throat, swollen glands, nervousness, peevishness, irritability, loss of sleep etc.

Each of these conditions appears to the mother to bo more oi- less of a separate entity to bo treated with some specific local application ot iuternarremedy, and she, will probably have heen largely confirmed in thfs> view by finding on turning to her "Mother's Guide" a distinct line of treatment, including physic, laid down for each complaint.

HEALTH VERSUS DISEASE.

The first fact which every mother has to grasp when dealing with her sick baby is that every condition ot] sickness is in a sense unnatural. The natural state is one of health; disease should be a very rare event in the life of a baby. If we provide all the essentials for proper growth and vitality we shall ensure health, or if sickness does chance to gain a foothold as it may in spite of all care— it should be overthrown without seriously affecting the organism. KEEP THE BABY GERM-PROOF

In almost every case invasion by disease means invasion by germs, and the way to prevent the onset or to cure the disease when established is virtually the same, namely, to render the baby practically germ-proof. The researches of Pasteur, Lister, Koch, Metchnikoff and a host of other observers have shown beyond all doubt that, .if, kept "fit" and well, nourished, the individual microscopic cells of which our bodies are composed can hold their own against the myriad hostile oells which may attack them from without or multiply within, but, if we let ourselves run down, the enemy unit against unit may prove the better fighter and may win the day. Viewed in this light the maintenance of health and the treatment of disease are for the moat part mere variations of the same theme. Disease is best treated and counteracted by paying more than ordinary attention to every factor known to be essential to the maintenance of vigorous life and health.

ESSENTIALS FOR HEALTH. (1) A free supply of pure air.— Keep the baby out in the open air ns much

as possible. When indoors there should be free ventilation day and night, summer and winter. Remember that free ventilation means the continuous flow all the time of a broad stream of fresh outside air across the room, not the chance mixing of air brought about by opening a window on one side only. To secure purity there must be an ample inlet and outlet on opposite sides of a room, an open window and chimney affording the surest ventilation. There need be no fear of either cold air or night air, so long as the baby is warmly clad, and kept out of direct draught — if necessary by using a simple movable screen. Newlyborn babies, especially if premature, need warm air until accustomed to their change of environment; but a normal baby, when a few weeks old, is benefited, not harmed, by free ventilation, and runs no risk from the temperature being kept as low as 40 to 45 degrees Fahr. This indeed is a common temperature at the Society's Baby Hospital, and notwithstanding the debility of many patients when admitted they soon pick up health and strength, while colds are almost unknown. (The subject of fresh air will be further dealt with next week.) (2) Pure Water.— For safety water should be boiled, whether for use by itself or for making baby food. (3X Suitable Food. — This is fully dealt with in the Society's pamphlet. (4) Clothing. — Clothing worn next the skin must not be irritating. The best available material is silk and wool, and as it lasts well and does not shrink in washing, it is inexpensive m the long ran. There mast be nothing in any way restrictive or hampering in the way of binder, napkins, or closely fitting garments. Light loose-textured, porous, woollen materials are the best coverings day^nd night. (5) Bathing. — Room to be warmed some time before commencing bathing; keep baby out of draught; bath and dress very quickly — no dawdling. Use as little soap as possible. Super-fatted soap is best. Dry thoroughly, and if skin is irritable, effect drying by dabbing, rather than by rubbing. (6) Muscular exercise and sensory stimulation. — Where active exercise is precluded on account of illness, etc,, the activity of the muscles can usually be fairly sustained by judicious handling, nursing, changing position in cot, massage, etc. As the baby improves airing the skin, bathing and plenty of sunlight outing are essential. All the above provide sensory stimuli, besides causing muscular activity. (7) Warmth, — Warmed air and surroundings are essential for prematures, and necessary at first for those who have been coddled, etc. Diarrhoea and colic are often due to cold feet and legs, and may be cured by attentipn' to this — e.g., by the use of suitable sOcks, warm bottles, etc. Babies, like adults, can stand cold air well, if, properly covered day and night with a sufficiency of warm, light, porous, loosetextured woollen material. Beware of heroic attempts to hastily "harden" babies. Go slow, and remember always that in proportion to its size the surface exposed for escape of heat is from three to six times as great in a* baby as in an adult. Hence the need for warm clothing, and for plenty of fat in baby food. Remember that fat is fuel. Most patent baby foods contain almost no fat. (8) Rest and Sleep. — These depend mainly on the above. Don't forget to turn the baby in its cot, or to remove wet napkins, coolod bottles, etc. Sometimes a drink of warm water or the putting of a warm bottle in the bed will send a baby off to sleep.

DIARRHOEA. OR ECZEMA. llow are we to apply the above ad-vk-xi to the treatment of such utterly different conditions as, for example, diarrhoea and eczema ? The essential background of treatment is the same in both cases, viz., to pay special attention to everything that conduces to health. Though other measures should be taken as well, to hasten the cure, general hygiene alone would bring about restoration to health in most cases, while at the same* time building-up the physique and constitution of the child and rendeiung it proof against any other disease. When a. baby has diarrhoea Ihe mother's .attention becomes centred on regulating the bowels by means of food and drugs, it does not occur to her that fresh air would have any effect. Yet a great American authority on babies says, when dealing with the treatment of infantile diarrhoea: — The general hygiene of the child should be regulated. Light and air should be assured. Often a qhange from the city to the oountry will marvellously help these cases. In New York, for example, it is found found that a single day in one of the Floating Hospitals of St. John's Guild, . which tako? sick children from the tenement districts down to the Bay, will have a most decided effect in restoring these patients.

OTHER ESSENTIALS.

Other essentials to diarrhoea are': (1) Prompt evacuation of fermenting and poisonous materials from the bowels (e.g., by castor oil). (2) Arrest of further growth of microbes by temporarily substituting boiled water for the ordinary food' and using, if necessary, appropriate drugs as well, which should be prescribed only by a physician. Diarrhoea should not be regarded as a minor ailment. Viewed in the light of the number of babies it kills or maims for life it is the gravest of all infantile diseases, and soon gets out of hand if not promptly dealt with. Never fail to call in a doctor in a case marked diarrhoea, or where mild diarrhoea does not quickly yield to the simple measures advocated above and in the Society's pamphlet.

ECZEMA. "Little Mother" writing from the King Country says:— "My babfc has been suffering from scabby eczema of the head for the last three weeks. We first treated it by covering the affected parts of the head with lard and poulticing over this to get the scabs off. Since then I have put on simple ointment, but though better it does not disappear, and I want to know if I have been doing right." Reply.. — "Assuming that the condition is really eczema, and that what you call "simple ointment" is really a simple suitable application, the local treatment has been appropriate enough but you should get a doctor to attend if there is one available. Meantime spare no pains to bring the baby back into the best possible health by paying strict attention to all the hygienic measures mentioned above and in the pamphlet.