OUR BABIES

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17216, 6 December 1923, Page 9

OUR BABIES

(BJT HVOEIA.) FnbliihaA nitar tk« k«iplo«a ef tk* moyal ]T*W iMUad Society lor tko XMltb of Voimi. aad Ok UArcak. " x« S« vlitr to put ap m fmmoo mt top of m prooiploo than to maintala aa ambulate* at tat tattoa.” PREMATURE BABIES. (Continued.) EQUABLE TEMPERATE ROOAIS VERSUS HOT ROOMS FOR PREMATURES. Hitherto most authorities have been in the habit of recommending that the temperature of the room for prematures should b© kept between 7odeg and 80deg Fahr., but tho doctors and nurses who have experienced the striking contrast between the after-condi-tion of prematures reared in “ hothouse ” temperatures, compared with those reared at the Karitano Hospitals in less heated air, pronounce in favour of the latter.

Prematures reared in rooms kept between flOdeg and Godeg Fahr. show comparatively little tendency to colds and bronchitis, whereas tho6© reared in hot rooms (75deg to SOdeg Fahr.), and in incubators, can rarely bo kept free from catarrh, not only in the early stages, but ' for months afterwards. Bome American authorities, while advocating hot rooms for prematures, admit that the babies so reared readily catch the slightest ailment, owing to their feeble vitality, even after they have reached three or four months of age, and that a mild bronchitis or slight attack of diarrhcea will carry them off.

j A natural high voonvtemperatur© due to hot weather is generally much less prejudicial to the baby than a high temperature produced artificially, especially by a stove or hot pipes. Prematures often do well in subtropical countries, or even in the tropica. No matter where or how a premature baby is reared, it must always be very carefully safeguarded against draughts, chilling, and infection, to which it is much more susceptible than any ordinary baby, especially in the early stages. But once a well-reared premature ha.s fairly turned the corner, and got on to the open high-road of health, it ought to hold its own and go straight ahead on normal lines. By the time ho is between six months and a year old a well-reared premature baby should be practically indi6,tinuiskable from a full term child. A premature baby was brought from the country to the Karitane-Harris Hospital, Dunedin, at midwinter, in a very cold, collapsed condition. At three weeks she weighed 1 Jib; at three months, 3slb ; at four months, 4 Jib; at seven months, 81b loz. She was taken home from the Karitane Hospital at four months. The child wfj/s then doing well, and 6he continued to thrive under'the ©are of her mother, who wrote when she was about six months of age, saying; “ Mavis has grown well, both in weight and chest measurement, smiles quite a lot, takes notice of things, and tries to talk.” At six months and a half the mother visited the Karitane Hoe* pital, and in a letter the matron wrote : “I think Alavis is a wonderful baby—• so plump and lively—and in every way appears to be quite normal. *

The following arc extracts from notes made at the same time by one of the nurses at the institution :~ Baby smiles and tries to talk, follows people with her eyes, will hold a spoon, keeps head erect; skin healthy, body well covered, and flesh

very firm; can raise herself in her cot; appears quite normal and intelligent in every wav. Diet.—-Is now taking Humanised Milk No. 1, 2ooz a day. containing five teaspoonfuls of New Zealand Emulsion ; has extra boiled water end three teaspoonfuls of orangejuice daily. Weight and (Compare with average Measurements. newborn girl-baby.) Weight, 81b Weight. 71b. Length. ‘2Jin. length, 20Jin. Chest, loin. Chest, 131 n. Head, Kiln. Head, laiin. For the first three months this baby had her mother’s milk, and some specially prepared “humanised milk” to deal satisfactorily with full-«trength After the seventh month she was able to deal satisfactorily with full-strength standard Humanised Alilk. Next week we shall go on to the feeding of the Premature Baby.