How to Bring Up Baby.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVIII, Issue 16, 16 October 1912, Page 59

How to Bring Up Baby.

(By

HYGEIA.)

Published under the auspices of the Society for the Health of Women and Children.

“It is wiser to put up a fence at the top of a precipice than to maintain an ambulance at the bottom.”

Addresses of Planket Nurses auil Secretaries. Dtmediii.—Plunket Nurses McLaren and Torrance. Tel. 1136. Offices of the Society, Health Department. Booms, Liverpool-street, Dunedin. Office hours, daily (except Saturdays and Sundays), from 3 to 4 p.m. Hon. see., Mrs. Edmond, Melville Street. Tel. 53. Christchurch.—Plunket Nurses Hickson and Hansard. Office of the Society, Chancery Lane. Office-hours, 2 to 3 p.m. daily (except Sundays). Hon. sec., Mrs. H. Pyne, Bealey Avenue. Tel. 285. Wellington.—Plunket Nurse Laing. Assistant Nurse Mackintosh. lion. Secretary, Mrs. M'Viear, 27, Brougham Street, City. Tel. 2642. Auckland.—Plunket Nurses Chappell and Morgan. Telephone 851. Office of the Society, 2 Chancery-street. Tel. 829. Office hours, Tuesdays and Fridays, 2.30 to 4 p.m. Hon. sec.. Mrs W. 11. Parkes, Marinoto, Symonds Street. Tel. 240. Napier.—Plunket Nurse Donald, Marine Parade. Hon. Secretary, Mrs. Hector Smith. New Plymouth.—Hon. Secretary, Mrs. tt. I. Matthews, T'itzroy. Tel. 104. Timaru.—Plunket- Nurse Bowie. Office of the. Society, Sophia Street. Tel. 314. Office hours 3.30 to 4.30 p.m; Saturday, 2.30 to 4 p.m. Hon. Secretary, Air. Ernest Howden. Invercargill.—'Plunket Nurse O’Shea, Alien’s Hall, Kelvin Street, lion, sec., Mrs. Cruickshank, Gala Street. Hastings ( Hawke’s Bay). District Plunket Nurse O’Callaglian. Office of the Society at Mr. Bates’s Pharmacy, lion. Secretary, Mrs. T. W. Lewis. Tel. 285. Ashburton.—Plunket Nurse Hickson. Office of Society, Bullock’s Arcade. Nurse in attendance every Saturday’ from 11. a.in. to 5 p.m. Hon. Secretary. Miss Standish, Society's Baby Hospital, Karitane Harris Hospital, Anderson's Bay, Dunedin, Tel. 1985. Matron, Miss Campbell. Demonstrations on points of interest io mothers are given by the Million every Wednesday afternoon from 2.30 to 3.30. Messages may <be left al any time at the Plunket Nurses’ offices or private addresses. 'The Society’s new book, “The Feeding and Care of the Baby," is now obtainable from Hie honorary secretaries, the Plunket nurses, and the leading booksellers throughout the Dominion. Price 1/; posted, 1/3. PLUNKET NURSES’ SERA IC ES FREE.

WHY CHILDREN'S TEETH DECAY.

Nature and Quality of Food, So far 1 have spoken only of the means of feeding as influencing the quantity of blood supplied to mouth, jaws, teeth, etc., but it will be readily understood that the nature and quality of the food is also of extreme importance. We cannot make sound mortar and concrete without good lime and cement, and we should not try to make sound bones and teeth out of condensed milk or patent foods, or even out of cow’s milk, unless it has been modified so as to approximate Hie composition of human milk. It is wonderful how well the jaws and teeth of bottle-fed babies develop if due attention is paid to the above points besides observing the simple primary needs of health in regard to regular feed ing, proper intervals, no night-feeding, fresh air, exercise, etc., etc. It is no wonder how badly babies d<> when the mother fails more or less in all the above particulars and byiiigs on Indigestion, diarrhoea, etc., to further im pede the growth of jaws and teeth and prevent the formation of good strong enamel.

The following passage from the “Feeding and Care of Baby ” makes very clear the dnmqging effect of disease in baby hood on the growing teeth: “During illness of any kind all « S rk in the direction of building ar,-I vepair is imperfectly done. Hence it is that the nails are always marked by a groove after fever—the bottom of cacti groove consisting of the portion of Hie nail which is formed during the illness. For the time being ail the nails are thus locally thinned, but this matters little since nails are constantly growing and being cut oft’. Not so with Hie enamel of the teeth. Enamel is formed once for all, in infancy and in childhood, and if there are thin portions, due to attacks of diarrhoea, etc., during the time when the enamel is in course of formation, the teeth will tend to decay wherever-there has been an inadequate deposit of the necessary protective covering. Dental surgeons are always telling u« that nowadays the coating of (•unmet is exceedingly thin—often, indeed, almost absent- in places. Can we wonder at this, seeing that few children enjoy uninterrupted good health during their early amt most important growing years! The mother who wants to ensure tier baby sound, long-lasting teeth must see to it that he is kept as healthy as possible t hroughout. " Every illness should lie regarded as at least a temporary victory for the microbes—a defeat which retards the growth mid development of the whole human organism, and renders it an easier prey to most other germs in the future. Pitched batlies waged with microbes are a waste of time and energy precious to the growing child, and leaves his tissues weakened, not strengthened by the light. \ et as soon as the baby lias "recovered" from any illness, the mother thinks Hie results of her mistakes are at an end; but this is not so more or toss of life long damage Ims been done." Dr. Underwood’s Summary. At the conclusion of his article in the • Inly " Nineteenth Century,’’ on the "Pre. valence of Decay of the Teeth." Dr. Underwood significantly sums up as fol " .Decay of the teeth is more prevalentamong English-speaking and other civilised races at Hie presnt time than it lias ever been in the world's history. "It is at least ten times as common in England and America to-day as it was even 150 years ago. " Ils prevalence is increasing rapidly, and, the degree of civilisation, and has

always been so at alt time# iu the world’s hiatory. Principal Cause of Decay of Teeth. “It is due principally to the wide spread and spreading system of artificial feeding of infanta, rendered possible by the contrivance of civilised ingenuity and favoured by the- decay of the maternal instinct and the mammary function, reditilii.? iD imperfect infant tissue formation, and, consequently, poorly-formed teeth."