HEARTH AND HOME.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10418, 23 March 1912, Page 4

HEARTH AND HOME.

OUB BABIES. (By HYCETA.) under the auspices of the Society for the Health of Women and Children.) " It is wiser to put up a fence at the ftop of a precipifT than to maintain an ambulance at the bottom." ADDRESS2S OF PLTJNKET NURSE 9 AND SECRETARIES. Dunedin.—Plunket Nursos Ellis end Laing. I Telephone 1136. Office of the Socioty, ' Haalth Department Rooms, Liverpool Street, Dunedin. Office hours, daily (exoapt Sundays), from 3 to i p.m. Honorary Secretary, Mrs Edmond, Melville ' Street. Telephone 53. Ckriev church.—Pluukat Nurses Hicks an and Hansard. Office of tho Society, Chanoary Lane, Cathedral Square. Telephone 847. Office hours, daily (except Sundays), from B to 11 a.m., and from 2 to 3 p.m. j t ' Honorary secretaries, Mrs Pyne, Bealsy <■ ATemte, telephone 2R5; and Mrs C. Reid, • Knowlei Street, St Albana. telephone . 1071. Wellington.—Pl'unket Nurse M'Donald, IX .Arc. Street. Telephone 2426. Honorary secretary, Mrs M'Vicar, Brougham Street, .City. Telephone 2642. 'Auckland.— Phmket. Nurses Chappell and . Brien, Park Street. Telephone 851. Office of tho Society, 2, Chancery Street. Tele- ' phono 829. Office hours, Tuesdays and Fridays, 2.30 to 4 p.m. Honorary Secre; tary. Mrs W. H. Parkes, " Marmoto. 1 Symonds Street. Telephone 240. Napier—Plunlcet Nurao Donald, Masonio .'Hotel. Telephone 87. Honorary secro- . tary, Mrs E. A. Henley, P.O. Box St. Telephone 117New Plymouth.—Plunket Nurse Murray, Imperial Hotel. Telephone 123. Office Town Hall, Wednesdays end Fridays, 2 to 4 p.m. Honorary secretary, Mrs R. 'J. Matthews, Fitzroy. Tnlephone 104. I Tirnarn.—Plunlcet Nurse Bc-man. Office ol I. -. ' the Society, Arcade Cha.yl«s. Telephone 814. Office hours, 8.80 to 4.30 and &30 i to 7.30. Honorary secretary, Mrs Sm>ttison, Faillie, Sefton Street, Telephone 230. . Invercargill.—Plunket Nurse O'Shea, Aliens Hull, Kelvin Street. Honorary secretary, Mrs Handyside, Gala Street. Ashburton— Phjnket Nurse Hickson. Office of Society, Bullock's Arcade. Nurse in . attendance every Tuesday irom 11 n,m. 1 to 5 p.m. Honorary secretary, Mis G. Nell, Bocioty's Baby Hospital, Karitana Home, I Anderson's Bay, Dunedin. Telephone , ' 1985. Demonstrations on points of m- ' terest to' mothers 'are ' given by the Matron every Wednesday aftornoon from 2.80 to 3.30. All mothers are invited. Sfeisages may be left at any time at the Plunkct Nurses' offices or private addressee. All other information available ' from the honorary secretary of each (' . PLUNKET NURSES' SKEYIOEfI FREE.

' | So many inquiries reach me by every • •mail concerning the new edition of the " Feeding and Care of the Baby," not only from New Zealand but from all parts of the world, that wo feel bound ,-, 'io do something to supply immediate '' requirements pending the issue of the complete book. Tt is therefore our intention to meet this immediate demand by publishing ■ in thia column during the next few '' weeks an up-to-date summary which ■will enable mothers to follow the Soci- ' ety's teachings, especially with the aid of the Plmiket nurses. These articles, with some additions,

■ Tvill v ho reprinted in pamphlet form. .WHAT EVERY BABY NEED 3, ■ WHETHER WELL OR ILL.

1. Air.—Abundance of pure cool outside air flowing fresh and free day and night. Ventilation moans a current acrcsa a room, which cannot be got by a mero open window. Keep baby out of direct draught. 2. Water must be boiled. Bathing ' j water should be boiled also if of doubt- . ) ful purity. ' \ 3. Food.—Suitable food, with proper '' j intervals, and nothing between the re''igular feedings. Best food, healthy mother's milk." Best substitue, humanised 1 milk. No other food for first nine ' .( months. Beware of patent foods, con- ' demsed milks and "pieces." V 4. Clothing must be non-irritating, ( non-const riotive, light, but sufficiently A warm.

. i 5. Bathing.—Cosy corner. Bath and dress very* quickly—no dawdling. (If , I baby ill or very delicate, forego bath \ for day or so, and substitute wiping - • rapidly with a cloth wrung out of warm water.') 'I 6. Muscular Exercise and Sensory 1 ' Stimulation.—lmportant both in health and disease. When a baby is ill for ' | Borfie time the tone and activity of the muscles and other tissue and organs >, can usually be fairly sustained by good ' nursing, Judicious handling, changing position in cot, massage, etc. As the baby improves, airing of skin, bathing , , and plenty of outing in sunlight are ■ ' essontinl.

7. Warmth. —Warmed air and surroundings are essential for prematures, I and necessary at first for those who ' Ijavo been coddled. Diarrhoea and colds j are often duo to cold feet and legs, and J may be cured by attention to this and > the other essentials. Babies-;—like adults ! —benefit enormously by being kept in ■ pure cold air if properly *clad. i 8. Regularity of all Habits.—Regn--1 larity of feeding, with proper intervals ; and no food between meals. Regular'ity of action of the bowels. Regularity of exercise, sleep, etc. 9. Cleanliness.—Cleanliness in everyUhing, especially with regard to food 1 and feeding utensils. Soiled napldns .must be removed from room at once ■' nnd placed in water. Hands which have come in contact with soiled napkins must be well washed before again handling the baby or its food. 10. Mothering.—Proper mothering ■ and bundling of a baby are essential i for tho best growth and development. No woman is a perfect " born-mother " 1 sho has to learn how.

( 11. Management.—B'ond and foolish over-indulgence, mismanagement, and '( " spoiling" may he as harmful to an J Infant as callous neglect or intentional i cruelty, \ The "can't-be-so-crnel" mother or { nurse, who will not bring herself to wake the baby a lew times, if needed, "In'order to establish once for all regu-

THE DOMESTIC CIRCLE.

lar feeding habits, or who weakly gratifies every whim of herself and tho child, rather than allow either to suffer temporary diseomfort for the sake of permanent health and happinesssuch a woman is really cruol, not kind. To savo a lusty, honest cry, she will pacify an infant with a "comforter" or with food given at wrong times, and may thus ruin the child in the first month of life, making him a delicate, fretful, irritable, nervous, dyspeptic little tyrant, who will yell and scream, d-ay or night, if not soothed or cuddled without delay. 12. Rest and Sleep.—Those depend mainly on tho above. Remember to turn the baby in its cot, and remove wet napkins, cold bottles, etc. EXTRAS WHEN ILL. When ill, what may a baby need in addition to the above " twelve essentials," which ho must have whether well or ill? For broken leg—Splints, dressings, etc.

For burns—Soothing and protective dressings. For chest complaints, e.g., coughs, colds, consumption, heart disease, pleurisy, pneumonia, whooping cough, etc. —Drucs, etc., will bo ordered by doctor if needed.

For alxlonimal complaints, e.g., colic, diarrhoea, dyspepsia. Details for diarrhoea: (1) Prompt evacuation of microbes and fermenting and poisonous materials from tho bowels, e.g., by enema, and use of castor oil, if needed; (2) arrest of further growth of microbes by temporarily stopping food supplies and giving only boiled water —Drugs, etc., will bo ordered by doctor if needed.

For fevers and other diseases tho above principles apply throughout. N.B.—The rational treatment of every form of ill-health, from broken bones to fevers, is to take extra care to provide as perfectly as possible all tho simple essentials for health—pure air, puro water, suitable food, suitable clothing, cleanliness, exercise, rest and regularity of all habits. Though drugs are rarely essential to tho euro of disease in babies, there are times when the saving of life may depend on their timely and proper use—a question which can bo decided only by a doctor.

If baby is ill a doctor should always he called in, if possible. Never resort to soothing powders or patent medicines!