OUR BABIES

Wairarapa Age, 22 May 1928, Page 7

OUR BABIES

(BY HYGEIA.) Published under the auspices of the Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Women and Children (Plun ket Society.) “It is wiser to put up a fence at the top of a precipice than to maintain an ambulance at the bottom.’’ The following excellently practical little article by H. S. Lippman, M.D., is reprinted from “Life and Health,’’ in which it appeared by courtesy of th” “North-western Health Journal”:— WHEN YOUR CHILD WON’T EAT Billy didn’t eat, and his mother couldn’t understand why. She took him to the doctor, who feund that his tonsils had been well removed, his teeth were normal, and his sinuses not infected, and his physical hygiene correct. The fact that he had tantrums, was filled with fears, petty jealousies, and hatreds did not concern her nearly so much as did his poor appetite. She had hoped that the doctor might find something wrong that could be easily corrected. She returned home disappointed, because not only did the doctor tell her that her boy was physically well, but he had refused to .give her a tonic. Ho had frankly told her that Billy wasn’t eating because of her mistakes in handling him. Ho had even told her that if she stopped worrying about her child’s appetite her eating problems would soon disappear. “Why, just imagine,” she said to her husband in the evening, “he told me that Billy’s refusal to eat was due to the same things that made him refuse to sleep and obey.” REWARD FOB EATING As observations during the last few years have shown that the treatments which the doctor recommended have been successful in the biggest percentage of his feeding problems, it would be well to discuss them. Just what was the cause of Billy’s refusal to eat, and what method should the mother use in overcoming his poor appetite? In the first place, Billy was getting too much attention from the grownups around the home. It was suggested that he be kept outside as much as possible through the day, playing with children preferably his own age. He was to be fed small amounts of foods in brightly coloured dishes, his milk and dessert being left to the end of the meal. If possible; one of his playmates was to join him in his meal. If he ate well, he was to paste a small silver of gold star in a little scrapbook, and this was to be shown to his father at the close of the day. His poor appetite was never to bo discussed in his presence. If he failed eat, nothing was to be said about it. If he showed the slightest tendency to take food he was to be encouraged and praised.

1 If, after a week of this regime, his appetite was no better, the food was to be placed in front of him and left there for 20 minutes. If refused, it was to be taken away until time for the next meal, when the food was again offered him. This was to be continued three times a day for at least four days. During this period he was to be denied any food whatever between meals. There was to be absolutely no urging or scolding or begging him tq eat. The whole problem was to be met in a cool, casual manner. Care was to be taken that those foods which he especially disliked were not C.l tho tray during this period. It docs not seem that such directions should bo especially difficult to follow, and yet it may take weeks to teach the mother to be unconcerned about feeding problems. This is very likely due to the fact that poor appetite is so intimately re’ated to poor health. Her fear is a deep one, deeper in the anxious worrying type of mothOften after she has faithfully promised the doctor to carry out_ his suggestions and ignore the food refusal, she continues to urge and scold the offender.

The biggest job of the child worker is not to get the child to eat; it is to get the mother to stop worrying about his not eating. Perhaps the difficulty lies in the fact that the treatment is too simple. The mother will learn to her surprise that ignoring the child’s appetite, at least in her case, is not so simple as she thought. She may finally realise, after she has properly learned to ignore her feeding problem, why it is that the mother who has so many children and hasn't time to worry about eating difficulties has so little trouble in getting them to eat. Wo have found after years of studying the food habits of the child, as so many others have found, that the problem in the physically healthy child who J*efneeu to eat is not with the child—it is With tho parents. SEND CHLD AWAY The family attitude must be changed. It is necessary to recall that when one is ill at ease or angry the apjietito is poor. We also know how we reel at a dinner when we are offered food wo do not like. We do not approach it yiih enthusiasm, and when the hostess is emotionally disturbed at our refusal, and insists that we eat, filling up our plate as she insists, our appetite may not only decrease, but disappear altogether. If the mother who cares for the child cannot change her attitude and ignore the food refusal, it is well to place the child in another home for a short time, and lot someone else feed him. It may be. a great deal easier for another person t» start the ball rolling— to g«t the child into good food habits. During the child’s absence the mother will be able to relax, to study the situation more calmly, and will bo better prepared to carry on the work that someone else has started. It has been our experience that after Mieh a vacation from home the mother will find that she can handle the child waeh better, that his eating is very much improved— not because the child