OUR BABIES

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 144666, 28 April 1915, Page 8

OUR BABIES

By HYGEIA-

Publisbed under the auspices of tho Society for the Health of Women and Children. “It is wiser to put up a fence at the top of a precipice than to maintain an ambulance at the bottom.” WORMS. •A MOTHER’S LETTER. ‘This morning I gave one of my babies Castor Oil for what appears to be Diarrhoea, and was horrified: to see a worm about half an inch 101*42; in (ho motion. It was very lively. J have often wondered if he had wranns, because of a deep yellow jelly-fike substance ho passes very often. I would be very pleased if you could toll me what to do. is it proper to give a child six and a-haif months old the advertised worm medicines-' “Sometimes 1 havo wondered- why my babies have rather a pale, wan look. Perhaps it is the worms. The babies are not gaining in weight quit© as well as they should. The bigger one has gained in nine weeks. “However, they are very happy and good, and often look the picture of health when brought in from sleeping outside. “f do want them to be spVmdid altogether, though. Both thrrir father and 1 are very healthy, and I’m sure vho twins should be. “We often wish wc had a Blanket Nurse stationed hero. is there anything we could do to got one or to .'<‘l the wheels in motion!'' Who pays her

salary? You see we don't kjMnv quite how to sot to work till we hoar more amout it. Wo are very much in earnest about the Nurse, and know several others who are. 100. “Many thanks for your advice in re feeding both babies on the breast and Mipplementing with the bottle. 1 found it just the thing.”

REPLY. (1) RE PLUNKET NURSE. Regarding the question of securing tho servile.*, of Plunket Nurses to work in new districts, the present is not a lime when the Society can advocate any additional expenditure—indeed, it has undertaken not to recommend the establishment of new residential centres during the continuance of the great war. However, there* would bo no- ■ thing to prevent the establish mom of a sub-branch in your district if there were a few mothers interested enough in the matter and willing to form a. commit Le. They could put themselves in touch with the nearest residential centre capable of sending n nur.se to visit you at stipulated limes—say once a mouth or once g quarter. This may I not bo feasible at present, but no doubt I it could lie arranged in the near future when the war is over. Meantime, t hose of you ’“who are interested in the matter could bo doing anything in your power to prepare ihe way abend by keeping in touch with tho work of the Society through its books, tlm Plunket Magazine, and the weekly “Our Rabies” column. C?> WORMS IN INFANCY. It is quite possible that the presence of worms may have something to d:> with the children being pale and not thriving quite as well as they should. Ln all such cases the mother should keep any worms that may be passed and .show them to her doctor, because different forms of these parasites cab for different: remedies and modes of treatment. This is why one cannot recommend the use of advertised “worm powders.” They may he effective for some worms, bin quite Useless for others. It is always much safer ami heller to secure competent medical advice. Not only should the doctor bo shown any worms that may he passiri. but he should also see some of the yellow jellylike substance which the moJier describes ns passed frequently in the present ease. Tills mucus is oharrmtenstic of intestinal catarrh, and calls for treatment. INTESTINAL WORMS IN GENERAL. All parents should have some general idea, of the part that may be played by intestinal worms ms affecting the’heaith of children. In the public mind this ! cause of trouble in infancy hulks 100 i largely. There is a ‘tendency on the i part of parents and nursas to put al- ! must everything down to “teething” ! or “worms.” It is true that either may cause serious illness; but it ;okmiid j be clearly understood that, a* a rule, ; there are other causes of ill-heailli at work where a child becomes much up- ; set by teething or the simpler and i commoner forms of worms. i

Take the present ca.se. The question is whether we aiv to regard “worms” (of which the mother has seen only one) ns tho real cause of the trouble, oils she to look "upon the worm merely as an evidence that the genera! health and the bowel and its contents are not what they should he; As a rule ordinary worms don't tend to flourish in a perfectly healthy bowel; but. on the other hand, worms-are almost sure to .lake up their abode and flourish if the bowel becomes chronically weak and sluggish, especially if . more or less chronic catarrh of the bowel becomes established, accompanied by the passing of slimy or jelly-like mucus. Worms tend to flourish in this mucus. THE LAW OF PARASITES. The great cause of the successful invasion of the body by parasites of any kind —from microbes to worms —is a hick of defensive, robust health and pure blood. There are myriads of tiny enemies over ready and on the lookout to attack and feed, on all living things, whether plant or animal, and these enemies always l tend to select the weak rather than the strong for their mey. One might have supposed it won HI bn otherwise; one might have supposed that parasites would prefer to live on plants with pure, sweet sap, or on babies with rich, roil, healthy blood; but this is not the case. They choose tho feebler organisms or tho • weaker parts of those who may be otherwise strong. FIGHTING THE FEEBLE.

, Any gardener or fanner will tell yon —indeed, you can see for yourself—that blight comes on the smaller, feebler cabbages or turnips—those growing in. tho poorer parts of the field or insufficiently supplied with air, light and water. The strong, vigorously-growing plants near by will be found quite freo from the pest; but you would only havo to weaken any of these plants by cutting most of its roots, or by depriving it of proper supplies of air and water, to cause an army of aphides to cover its leaves, and further weaken it in the course of a few weeks.

AHE WORMS GENERALLY THK CAUSE OR THK EFFECT? Speaking of a condition of feebleness and falling-off most frequently soon in children about the tlmo of their second “teething, 51 a distinguished physician says:— “Other eases of debility with intestinal disorder will bo brought to you simply for WORMS, and 1 want to impress upon you that you should always regard worms as a, symptom and not as a disease. They arc a- symptom of chronic intestinal catarrh rather than m-f disease in themselves.” TREATMENT. The broad general treatment for all ailing babies is given on pages 1 and 2 oi the Society’s book, “Feeding and Caro of Baby” ; and there is no case in which this applies more strikingly than where a bony tends to ho pale, is doing poorly, ami is suspected of suffering from worms. Fresh air. sunlight, proper regular feeding, regularity of bowels, plenty of exercise, cloek-ilke. regularity with regard to .sleep and plenty of it—these arc the main essentials. Cano sugar, if in use. should be cm off in such oases. Further, if the baby lias reached an age at winch siarriiy food is generally given, this element of the diet should bo kept in strict moderation.

Tho diet recommended for young children pa.tt babyhood is ns follows: — Directions for Diet in Chronic Dyspepsia with a tendency to •‘Worms.” 1. No food between regular meals.

2. No sugar or sweeties of any sort. 3. No new bread, potatoes, cakes, pastry, jam. syrup, or treacle. 4. The diet should consist mainly ot stale bread or dry toast with butter and dripping; bacon, eggs, fresh fish, and meal in'strict moderation; plain, simple puddings; green vegetables in small quantity, and fresh ripe fruit. o. A pint or more of milk should be given. •Slow eating and thorough mastication are of the first importance. PURE AIR AND EXERCISE. The authority I have already quoted says:— Next to a change of diet I put in order of importance change of air. Repeatedly our has seen cases whii b are banging lire and not doing well get belter right away when they are sent to a convalescent home at tho seaside. This is explained partly on tho ground that mnnv of those cases arc duo to lark of physical exorcise, confinement in school, and unhealthy homes. LOCAL MEASURES. Among local measures the most generally usclul procedure is the use of injections for cleansing the lower bowel. For this purpose pure water, or salt and water, nr infusion of quassia may be used. Injections arc speeinlly useful'in getting rid of thread-worms. At tho same time attention must be paid In preventing Ihe child reinfecting itself by sucking its fingers, c to.