OUR BABIES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18349, 29 December 1927, Page 13

OUR BABIES.

(BY HY’GEIA.) Published under the auspice* of the Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Women and Children (Plunket Society). “It is wiser to put up a fence at the top of a precipice than to maintain an ambulance at thd bottom.” Diarrhoea. Treatment of a Threatened Attack— If a motion appears green when passed, the mother should be on her guard at once, and should observe carefully the next motion. Sometimes a motion becomes green or greenish after being exposed to the air for a time—this is of no consequence. Sometimes the motions are highly greenish when passed, or partly greenish, but on rubbing with a corner of the napkin it is found that it is mostly quite yellow. If there •is also some partially undigested food in the motion, this is a sign that the baby's digestion is being overtaxed in some way. The food should be diluted for a few feeds, and worked up to full strength again gradually, or otherwise adjusted by the advice of the Plunkct Nurse. These slightly greenish stools do not necessarily mean that an attack of diarrhoea is threatened, but they should always put the mother in her guard, for, as we have explained, indigestioh is. the main predisposing cause of diarrhoea. . If a second green motion is passed, especially if it is relaxed, and is passed within a sliort time of the first, the mother should proceed as follows where the baby is breast-fed of bottlefed : 1. Give a dose of castor oil —one or two teaspoonfuls, according to age. The average need is an ordinary teaspoonful (not a. small afternoon teaspoonful), but a very small or delicate baby may need less. 2. Give boiied water only for the next two or three feedings at least. (If the baby is breast-fed, the mother must draw off the milk from her breasts at the usual feeding times, either by expressing with the fingers and thumb or by a breast-pump or soda water bottle. See . lhe w Ex P ®V.V ant Mother and Baby’s First Month. ) If the green - and .frequent motions still persist, and baby appears to be getting worse, continue to give boiled water only, and call in a doctor. It the motions are improving after the oil and water for' two. or three feedings, and-baby does not appear ill, proceed as follows: — , , _ . 1. In the Cast-of a Breast-fed Baby: Give a few ounces of boiled water immediately before nursing, .and allow baby to suckle for a few minutes only. At "the next feeding, give rather less water and a slightly longer period at the breast, and so on, the amount of water being coutiouslv reduced at each feeding and the suckling prolonged accordingly. It may be necessary to take several days or even a week or more to get back to full normal feedings. 2. In the Case of a Bottle-fed Baby: Either proceed according to the instructions on pp- 32 and 10S-109 “Feeding and Care of Baby ’or Discontinue humanised milk for a few day's, giving instead a mixture of skimmed milk which has been boiled for 10 minutes and diluted with water. At the first feeding after the period on boiled water only, give 1 part skim milk to 4 boiled water. At the next two feedings give 2 parts boiled skim milk to 3. parts boiled water. At the next two or three feedings give three parts boiled skim milk to 2 parts Boiled water. If all is now going well, there being no further green or frequent motions, undiluted humanised milk, boiled for five minutes', may- be introduced into

the skim milk and water mixture, until in the course of a few days or a week or more (according to progress* the baby may be taking only boiled humanised milk. The time of boiling may then be reduced by a minute or two a day, until the mixture is merely scalded or pasteurised in the usual way-* Fat, whether in the for mof top milk or New .Zealand emulsion, is not well Taken, in .cases .of diarrhoea, and if given too soon, or in too great quantity, after even attack, may cause further •troublq. Always reduce the fat in baby’s food after an attack of diarrhoea by reducing or discontinuing the time of setting for top milk, or by discontinuing the emulsion temporarily if the baby' is on humanised milk No. 111. Work up the time of setting again gradually or reintroduce the emulsion by giving first one teaspoonful in the twenty-four hours and increasing the amount by about half a teaspoonful a day until full strength is reached, being guided in each case by the motions and baby’s condition. In severe cases of diarrhoea it may be necessary to cut off fat almost completely from the baby’s food for a considerable time, giving the boiled skim milk and water mixture (in the proportion of 4oz or sor. of skim milk to loz of water) for a longer period before introducing any humanised milk. Discontinue fruit juice during the first week, but if all goes well reintroduce it gradually as soon as the motions have been normal /or a few days. Though quicker progress than that suggested may be made, it is always safer to err on the side of “ going slow ” than to advance too quickly' and bring on a relapse. Older Children.

Treat threatened diarrhoea in the same way—that is, give an adequate dose of castor oil and nothing but boiled water for two or three meal times. Then give boiled milk diluted with rice water. Work gradually back to full diet by. means of simple, easily digested food. It is naturally' impossible to give definite rules which will apply’ to every case. Imagination and common-sense are necessary in this, as in everything in life. Consult the Plunket Nurse if one is within reach, or write to the nearest nurse or Karitane Hospital for advice if you are in doubt or difficulty.