OUR BABIES.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13808, 20 January 1909, Page 2

OUR BABIES.

By Hygeia

Published imder-the auspices of. the Society for the Promotion of the Health of Women and Children. CIRCULAR TO MOTHERS.

The following summary of advice to mothers of babies born during tlifi last nine or ten months has been issued by the Society in Dunedin. It will be noted tfiat nothing, is said as to the duties of. the expectant mother '. (exercise, food, habits, attention to breasts;, ■etc..) nor as to'trying to geo the baby to suckle within ;i few hour.se of. birth, and persisting in doing so every three or four hours for as long as a week, in spite of failure to induce a flow of milk, before giving in. Such omissions are due merely to the fact that the circular could not reach mothers until towards the end of a week after childbirth. WHAT IS BEST FOR BABY? Nursing by the mother is best for the baby, and best for the mother's health also. .-•'-' Nearly every baby is born healthy, yet few are as strong and as well as they should be at tlie end of a month or two. This faling off can easily be prevented. . Babies don't make themselves delicate and sickly—they become so through faulty treatment. Mother and nurse are entirely responsible. • The baby's fate is in their hands. "What-must*they do, and what must thev not do? ABSOLUTE ESSENTIALS. FRESH AIR. —A current of pure "fresh air day and- night is absolutely essential.. Keep the baby in. the open air as much as possible. When in the house let the room (whether bedroom or sitting room) have, an ample current of pure cool outside air flowing through it all the time. Keep out of the direct line of draught, but dont be frightened of the air being cold, Pure cold air is invigorating, and prevents "catching cold" when taken out into the open. There is no danger, but actual safety in free-flowing ni<rht air. The baby should never sleep with its mother, but in a separate cot. The newhorn babe needs special care and attention. For the first few days it is well to have a fire in the bedroom in cold weather; but,'unless for special reasons this is not advisable after a week or ten days. Even when there is a fire the room must not be allow r ed to warm up much, but must have a very free flow of pure open air thronsrh, it dav and night. See that the baby is sufficiently covered with light, open, fluffy or porous woollen materials, and it necessarv use a hot bottle as well. CLOTHTNG.—Next the skin clothe with a silk-and-wool. singlet to prevent irritation. Over this is placed the binder, which should be given up when' the cord is healed, say at the end of 10 days or a fortnight. Neither the back nor the abdomen needs any support whatever. A binder may cause rupture,.and will not prevent it. On the other hand it prevents the belly walls from becoming strong, and always restricts deep healthy-breathing, even if lightly applied. Common, cheap, porous flannel clothing affords ample warmth without heaviness.

FOOD.—Suckling by the mother is infinitely the best on all grounds, and should be continued, if possible, until several teeth are through. "Where the mother's supply run short she should do her best by exercise, "attention to food, bowels, bathing, etc., to increase supply. Make up deficiency with cows milk properly mddified. and prepared to suit the-baby—in-other words with "humanised milk." Don't use patent .foods, condensed milk, or mere, diluted cow's milk and cane sugar: EXERCISE, REGULARITY, CLEANLINESS, and other essentials are dealt with in the •'summary of needs" given further on. - .■ THE SOCIETY'S NURSES. By telephoning to No. 1281 or 1985 practical advice and instruction can »& arranged for through the Plunket Nurse, who will gladly cal} at the mother's house if desired. No fees can be accepted. ' The Society's pamphlet on "The Feeding and Care of the Baby" will be forwarded on the receipt of 3d in stamps by Mrs. Carew, hon. secretary, 8. Heriot'row, Dunedin. While the advice and recipes given in the pamphlet are clear and simple we strongly advise mothers ta seek practical advice of the Plunket Nurse, who will show them in a simple and homely way how best to clothe and bath the baby, how to ventilate the rooms, in what position to place the rot, etc. Further, in cases wherp artificial feeding is unavoidable the Plunket Nurse will show the mother just how to prepare or adapt the humanised milk for the particular baby and how to keep it cool and salt. SPECUL WARNING. The great scourge of babyhood is diarrhoea, especially in summer. The way to prevent this is to ensure perfect health by strict attention to all the simple baby needs referred to herein. Diarrhoea is generally supposed to be due directly to something in the food which has disagreed. This no doubt is a main cause, but severe doarrhoea generally comes on only when a baby's digestion and nutrition have been failing for some time, owing to unsuitable food, impure air, lack oi exercise, .etc. Had he been. weighed it would have been noticed that he was not making proper progress. Weigh the baby every week, and never neglect indigestion, green stools, or diarrhoea. (See the Society's pamphlet.) SUMMARY OF NEEDS.

1. Pure cool flowing air, day and I night. ! 2. Breast-feeding if possible. (-Mother must take plenty of exercise, and pay strict attention to feeding, bowels. etc.). 3. If baby cannot be suckled use properly-graded humanised milk, which must be kept in a cool safe outside the house. v (Consult I'lunket Nurse.) 4. . Feed quite regularly, waking baby if necessary. There is a growing opinion among leading authorities that the feedings hitherto recommended have been too frequent, and it will be found beneficial to both mother and child to allow from half an hour to an hour longer intervals than are shown in ordinary standard feeding tables. Intervals of from two and a half to three hours are heste during the early months, and every three and a half to four hours after three or four months. 5. Regulation of other habits—e.g . bowels, etc. 6. Suitable Clothing. Nothing tight. Silk and wool singlet next skin. No binder after fortnight. 7. Bathing. Warm, cosy corner. No dawdling. 8. Exercise. Kicking, etc., should be encouraged. A baby left lying in its cot all day long neither moved nor handled tends to become a delicate miserable weakling. 0. Cleanliness m everything. 10. Weigh habv everv week. DON'T.' Don't resort to bottle-feeding unless obliged. Don't try humanised milk of full strength when starting to use it. (See pamphlet.). D.m't keep milk or any baby-food inside the house, but in an outside sale or airy box. The bottle or jug should be loosely covered, say with a perfectly clean saucer, to keep out tailing particles, but must on no account be kept corked or sealed. Don't make sudden changes. An exception is the immediate change to

boiled water, or sugar-of-milk .solution. on account" »t' severe indigestion o> diarrhoea." Don't use a comforter. Comforters damage tlie jaws and.Vmbryo tee Mi, spoil digestion, and give rise to diarrhoea. • Don't use a tube feeding bottle. Don't .use patent foods. .soothing syrups, or powders. Don t give anything between feedings (unless a drink of Noiled water lor tnirst.) Don't give any biscuit,' rusks, or solifl food until several teeth are cut. Don't be led astray by other mothers, however kindly, merely because they happen themselves to have brought up a number of children. ' Don't wean in warm summer weather, unless under a doctor's advice. LADV PLUNKET NURSES. The Society for the Promotion for the Health of "Women and Children is founded on a basis of friendly mutual helpfulness, and hopes soon to embrace in its membership the majority of the mare responsible adult population. | The work of the Pluuket Nurse' is | to help mothers at their homes and elsewhere in matter affecting : their health and well-being of themselves and offspring. The Society's nurses are specially expert in practical details as to the best methods to be used in tlie rearing of babies in accordance with the. most advanced knowledge of the day. They are selected Hospital Nurses, who have undergone a further course of practical training at the Karitane Baby : Home to qualify them as reliable guides to mothers. ' Their mission is not to one class more than another. The broad scheme the Society has in view is really an extension of Education which will help to fit a woman to carry out perfectly the most .sacred and" responsible of her duties to her fumilv. to the race, and to posterity. ''lnstruction in Parenthood,.', as Herbert Spencer calls it, is a first, duty of the community, to its mothers, and to the rising generation. . The Society Hopes that the services of the.Plunket Nurses will be freely used in the spirit in which thev are tended. No fees will be allowed, because the work is done m the interest, of. the whole community, not merely to heln the individual, moth er The Socielv will be more than' amply repaid if it's efforts bring about-the-all-round advance in health, efficiency, and happiness which is aritioinarecl. \s expressed bv her Excellency Lady PUmket the purpose of the movement 'is a patriotic one —• "For the,sake ot the women and children,' for the advancement oi the Dominion, and jfor the honour of the Empire." The Society teaches _ what every mother and nursegirl oueht to know. It holds that practical lessons in the intimate domestic duties r.t motherhood and the nursery can be most fitly and propcrlv conveyed by a specially trained and experienced nurse, the Plunket Nurse is a nurse with a general mission—a mission to supply en-li«rht.-ned inptr»ti™i, ''ree to Ml. m nractical domestic hygiene as effecting mother and child.