OUR BABIES.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20278, 12 April 1934, Page 14

OUR BABIES.

(By

HYGEIA.

Published under the auspices 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 the bottom.” Overfeeding: in the First Month. In the last article we impressed on our readers the damage done to manv young infants by overfeeding in the first month of life. Many of the babies admitted to our Karitane Hospitals are suffering from malnutrition caused by overfeeding in the early weeks of life. The poor infant suffers from indigestion and colic, and gets little peaceful sleep. Bahy'c crying and other symptoms of suffering worry the mother so that she cannot rest and sleep. H°r milk is frequently pronounced at fault, and. of course, the lack of rest, combined with worrv and pnriety. onuses her supnly to dwindle, until, from havinc nr ample supply, thpre is not sufficient *o maintain the proner growth and development of the child. Visit to “ Mothers’ Cottage.” In such a case if a Plunket nurse in whom the mother has confidence takes charge matters soon begin to mend: but it may take a very long time to get rid of the indigestion and colic which have been established. It is better still if the mother and babe go to the “ Mothers* tottage” at one of the society's Karitane Hospitals. An improvement soon takes place under the skilled treatment of the matron and her staff. Baby is put to the breasts at regular intervals, and a record is kept of the quantity of milk obtained by the infant from the mother at each feeding time, when the baby is weighed ” before and alter.” The deficient supply is carefully complemented. making sure that only a sufficiency of properly adiusted fond is allowed. and the baby gradually becomes more contented and happy, tends to have less pain, sleeps better, and begins to put on weight again. Meantime, the mother, freed from all responsibility, and seeing her baby improving. begins to rest better, her mUk supply increases under the care of the nurses, and. of course, the baby having the v»r y best food, tends to recover quickly.' Our readers may say. ** All’s well that curls wen.” and no great harm has been done. This is where we differ! Anv infant who has suffered such nn’o and miserv canot he im-iampred hr it. a”d 'ong weeks mav follow in which the digestive organs have to he grpdu-llv restored to now.-.-.* functioning before *hings re-nv mend. Fit vent Overfeeding. What we want to try and impress on readers this week is the fact that mothers and nurses should endeavour to prevent this overfeeding. Remember—(let in touch with a Plunket nurs eo r a Karitane Hospital as soon as posihip. and in the meantime give less food. ■Remember—Ton must we»«-h before on d * after each nursing for e l hours in order to he onife sure of qtmntitv baby 1= getting- but a careful, ohserv"rept evtent the oa” e » of hahv’s trnuhie before she ts ahi e t o get scales. T P babv is rpc+loe-c, end seems dissatls«ed. gpve e IJHIa me...-, boiled water either before his or between "eedings. and feed regularly.