OUR BABIES

Waikato Times, Volume 94, Issue 14583, 4 February 1921, Page 7

OUR BABIES

(By "Hygela."} UK AT AND INFANT MORTALITY. Why Do Babies Die in Rot Weather? There is au appalling increase in Uic baby death-rate during hul weather. This lias always been recognised more or less, but iL is only of late years that lb" matter lias received any serious attention. Looking into the death-rate ol babies in Pans in the taller part of Ihe reign of yueen Victoria, iToJessor Biuhn found that m one week- at midsummer 2aU babies died in Paris; whereas the average niunber, who died tier week at midwinter was only 20. This uas an exit eme case; but it is quite a common thing lu And from live lu JO limes as n,any babies dying in the holiest weather as compared with the coldest. Whv should lids be so .’ 1) IA!1 It 11 1 1 FA 'Jill:; MAIN SGOURDE. First p was i diced that nearly all Ihe sunniie ■ deaths were due to diarrhoea, and IheLv-st majority Occur!* d in babies who were being artificially fed. Further investigation showed that hahies fed on condensed milk, patent foods, etc., were nut only prone I" suffer from diarrhoea, in hot weather, hut they also l-"in.led lo put Up a poor light against any disease they might catch, and that they readily succumbed. Hahies fed with cow s milk and water did better, if tolerably good milk could he secured, and if any reasonable cure was lakeu to keep it cool. The risk was further reduced by scalding the milk during the hottest mouths, or on very hot days. Still belter results followed on the use of milk properly muddied and prepared so as lo resemble human milk as closely as possible—in other words, by using Humanised Milk. However, in sidle of every precaution as to artificial feeding—indeed, even in the case of breast-fed babies — it was found that infantile Diarrhoea was much more prevalent and fatal in summer than in winter. This showed that the sole cause of “summer diarrhoea” was not Uic use of unsuitable foods for bald": patent foods, condensed or dried milks —nor the use of cow's-milk unguarded by beating, cooling, etc., so as to keep down Hie rapid growth of microbes. Unsuitable and tainted foods were evidently mainly to blame; hul sene account must betaken of ihe harmful effects of heat acting not merely on the baby's food, but dii-i-eHy on Hie baby itself. We all kimw that very hot weather renders us languid and tired, and lends to upset us, even as adults. Recent investigations go to show that hot weather is liable lo interfere very seriously with the digestive and nutritive processes in hahies, unless great care is taken to give them plenty of fresh i-ioil air day and night, and lo modify (heir clothing of In-d-coverings so as to prevent oppression and sweating when the weather happens to bo usually sultry. AN ABSURD FALLA*IV. I 11 n< 1 that many moliu-rs entertain the absurd notion that a baby's clothing should not. hi l h-ssem-d on specially suit r\ days. They think that any suo.-i change renders the baby liable to catch cold. In reality Ihe reverse is Hie ease. Nothing lends to weaken and devitalise a baby and render il so liable to get colds and diarrhoea as being’allowed to swellri- and sweat overi-lothed in warm, muggy air fur 2 4 hours. When Hu- in ■ •\i lid 1 1 1? change lo a, cooler day comes, a baby so treated is almost sure to suffer, if, on Hu- other- hand, Ids clothing and hediling had been adjusted to meet the temporary rise in Hu: thermometer, Hi'-ro would have been nothing to fear when the wind suddenly veered round from Hie sultry, nor'wester of l ami erhury or idago to the sharp cold of Hie son’-wesler. WHAT THE FLUNK FT NURSES FJN’u IN PRACTICE. Tin- Plunkel Nurses find 11 1 aI, however carefully the baby’s food is made and safe-guarded, there is a, general tendency of hahies lo he more or I. ss upset on very hot days, and (hey lim 1 that Hie only effective means of combating lliis tendency is to give more outing and fresh air at. such Hines, and a, sudden rise of temperature, hut In keep a sharp and intelligent watch on the bedding and clothing—not merely taking tilings off when there Is being always on Hie -lookout to resume immediately Ihe ordinary coverings din-cily the wind veers round and the day becomes chilly again.