Woman's World

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11574, 18 December 1915, Page 3

Woman's World

OUR BABIES. (By HVGEIA.) Published under the auspioßS tif the Society for the Health of Women and Children, " It- 1 s wiser to put up a fence at the top of a precipice than to maintain au ambulance nt the bottom." CONSTIPATION IN MRfi.AST-FED ISABIKS (Continued). Last week, in reply to ''Anxious Mother s question with regard to tho prevention of constipation in hi'cnsttcd babies, we deait with the influence ot the mothers health on tlm baby's, condition. As ,his is of such paramount importance no give the following summary of what w as said last week SUMMARY Ob' ESSENTIA!.* FOR NURSING MOTH NR. (1) Regularity. - Remember the adage " A constipated mother means a constipated baby;" therefore establish regularity. (See page !,), Feeding and Care of Baby.") (2) Diet.—The nursing mother needs a simple, nutritious dirt. including fruit, vegetables, plenty of fluid, and no alcohol. Three meals a. day and 110 food between is host. Fluid should he taken after the more.solid part of the meal has boon eaten. The food ought to be varied, and should be thoroughly masticated and enjoyed. t.'l) liathing. Exercise and Waterdrinking.—Cold bathing or sponging, followed by brisk friction, ranid dressing and twenty minutes' really active exercise, is most beneficial. Sip a turn-; bier of water while dressing. (I) Medicinal Laxntivos.-'-Purgatives should be avoided. (Sec page U, " Feeding and Care of Baby.") <•>) Fresh Air. Exercise and Rest.— The nursing mother should sleep with wide-open windows. A current of pure j fresh air should flow through the hedre.om day and night. A daily walk of I at least two miles should he taken, and the mother should test cut-of-doors as much as possible. The special physical exercises pictured on page B*2 exert a very beneficial influence over the health | of the nursing mother, j Oil Avoid causes of worry and cxcite- ! .nent. In addition to attention to the mother's health and habits, what con be done for a breast-fed baby who is constipated ? Don't let ten o'clock in the morning pass without getting the bowels to move if there has not been n motion in the previous twenty-four hours, j Mothers often say, " .My baby's I "bowels -will not move at n certain [hour." Make them move. Babies are j creatures of habit, and regular habits I acquired in infancy' are essential for health later in life. Professor Chaplin says: "A constipated infant should be constantly observed and treated until the condition is relieved, as most of the chronic cases in later life have their beginning in early life." i Further, a constipated child should I always be regarded as on the- verge of | diarrhcra : babies readily pass from one j extreme to the other. Attend carefully to all the essentials for health given under the heading : "What Every Baby Need,-, Whether' Well or 111," on pages 1 and 2 of the Society's hook. The following instructions front | "Feeding nnd Care of Baby." given | below, are easily followed. As ni.auy of j the measures iw possible should he used j at the same time, so that, regularity ! may be established quickly. | EXTRACTS FROM THE SOCIETY'S BOOK. " Tt is of, the utmost importance to; j ensure regularity ■ of,, the bowels. Tryto get them to move at't-he-.same .time every day just after fhe ■morning,and afternoon feedings. If training be begun early, regularity can usually be brought about by the second month- A "soap-stick." alw ays causes more or less local .stimulation, such as that produced by tickling the amis. ' Holt. If the above mild external stimula--1 lion fails, the mother mnv try passing ! the tip of a " soft rubber catheter," si?e Nil., into the bowel, or the soft j rubber noswle of a small " bulb-enema," j specially made for brthics. may be Used jin the .same way. Such an enema j should hold only an ounce. Ii a motion | i.s not brought about by the mere | kcuco of the nozzle, a. little water may I ho injected, say, from a teasponful to nil ounce, according to what proves ueessarv. The water should be made slightly saline l>y adding common salt in the proportion ot a bare level teaspooni'ti! 10 the pint of boiled water, and it should be injected with the. chill just off—ay at TOkleg F.; - not warm. Such a fluid tones no the bowel, but (unlike soapy wat >ri *is not irritating i and docs not cause any tendency to , catarrh ot the bowel. Soap, whether I given by enema or used in the form of '■ soap-sf ..c'.i.' always causes more or less ; prolonged irritation of the mucous | membrane, niton leads to slime in the i motions and redness of the orifice, and | may cause much pain, straining, and | even prolapse tho bowel. The.se results I will not be surprising to anyone who : reflects on the smarting caused by a ' -11 lo soapy witter gelt ing into the eyes. However, if used only occasionally, 110 harm need he done bv the use of a .* sosip-stiekv The main paints to boar mi mind are: (1) Select a mild superfa ited soap, wb e'i can be obtained from any chemist; c>) rarehilly cut and scrape the soap to tli" form of a conical cartridge or torpedo, a little more than an inch bmg and about- as lhick a.s a lead pencil : (.'3) soften the surface of Iho soap with warm water before inserting. A soap .strek made and used -as described is much lc<s irritating than the popular glycerine suppository, and is therefore preferable: hut a very small enema of 111 i'd si.iine fluid is better lhan cither. harge enemas are liable to distend the bowel and '■•. use further lack o| tone and sluggishness. Thev slionlrl thcvciore be avoided indeed, the mother should not allow herself to dr'.ft into die habit nl introducing anything imo Ihe bowels, if th-y („> tcot to move otherwise ; she should jsparo no pains to hrtng about normal tone end vigour oi tie- v bole .svstem and proper activity ef dm h<me!s ; hy natural means as soon as possible. W In re constipation floes not '--eld to Simple hygienic measures thor.> should he no delay in consulting a doctor. T> Fl! SI ST KNT Cf! XSTIP ATJ ON. Persistent constipation is more serious. nnd is geuereily duo to lack of atention to eusurhiu; at least one regular aciion nl the bowels at the same time every day. t > b.-.liy nor having enough outing, and to tb" Wdrponi not. being : ufpeienily validated. -Nothing tends to oufoeblement more than cuddling in warm, suiii'y rooms isee pages (i-t-itt "Feeding and ('are of Rab.v"). Hoar in mind thai m "vy baby needs, in addition to omn-air and sunlight, liler,ty o; evereise ' -e-> '' K\ereiso." page X'J-l. Rubbing the abdomen ha> a great effect in s: imn lat i nthe muscles, etc., and thus tends in cau-e the bowels to work. Regiu < ;T 'he tivcht groin, move the band up to the ribs, then across just- -above the navel, to the opposite

HOUSEHOLD aiNTS ANI) JOTTINGS,

si<!o. • flien around t/> the left groin,, using; .1, rir-iilar mot-iop. Stroke tho abdomen vrvv gonlly st ilrct with a warmed bund, lisinp warm oii; then employ n, lirin'T, ''.loupor pressure .is the child iiocomcs vAcd to it. Do this massago just bourn! tho tiroes whon the bowels arc to hf> moved. It may lie continued for live minutes, and followed by further meiuMivos to induce a motion (.see iiborn). N.B.—All purgatives qr« injurious. Persistent, ronsiipation is i; serious sUfertion, needing earoful treatment Wider medical suwrviwon. DEFECTIVE ISOVTJSL EVACUATION. ProtVssor Kt]c>\ of Xi>v York,, ftronutly eniphys'isa; tho fact that even thnujih t hero a daily passage, if the motions nro dry, come mvuy in. pieces or hard balls, -or in n firm, formed stnto with dry surface.*, it is pr«c----t-icaliy coj-lain th-at faicnl, -matter is being iuijiropcriy rctiiined in tho in-t-estine. At any tinio in babyhood or childhood this may c.nise ;:ravc symptoms of poisoning, tho child being seized suddenly with persistent vomiting, prostration, diarrhostt, nnd fever. If this should occur, let the child have cold boiled wator to drink and givo an enema of a quarter of a. pint- of warm water (between OOdeg and 1 OOdeg F,). If a nurse is present she sliould irrigate copiously, witu normal naline solution, gradually reducing the temperature' of thfl fluid to as low as TOdeg F. If there is high, fever a doctor should bo called in immediately. There would be no risk or grave, sudden emergencies such as tho above 11 mothers would pay <iuc attention to tho essentials of hygiene. If habv be overfed there is at first n tendency to constipation. As time •goes on. however, tho changed and fermenting contents of the intestine givo rise to wind _and colic, with a tendency to diarrhren. Tho nursing mother. must therefore bo careful not to overfeed her baby. It' baby begins to '-put up''.food, tho mother should reduce, the time for which he is allowed to nurse, or else she should ie'igtheu the intervals between the feeding. EXEMA. ." K ' v: If a. baby is troubled with constipation. a small tonic enema of ion to .loz of '•norma! saline'' {a level teaspoonful of common salt to a pint of boiled water) may be given by means of a. tiny soft-nonßled buib-onema pending the securing of natural motions. (See page e*.) Much harm is done by the.habit of giving ordinary enemas to babies. Jt is quite a common thing to liud mothers giving a- daily injection of from 2oz to a quarter of a pint or more of soap nnd water. This is highly injurious. cauMug a.s it does both distension and irritation and rendering the bowel more and more .sluggish.